Naruto Dragneel
by CombustingGorilla
Summary: Naruto and Kurama are frozen in time for hundreds of years by an unknown force. When they are finally let free... they're changed. Igneel finds them and Natsu gets a brother! How will Naruto's presence effect all of Fiore? Did someone plan all of this from hundreds of years in the past? Rated T just in case. Strong, but not God- like Naruto and Kurama. Pairings in the future.
1. Enter: Naruto Dragneel

The next thing the Blonde knew, he was in his dream scape. Shallow water covered the ground and pipes lined the walls. It was spacious, and could hold a small town.

He sat up and looked around.

"Alright, brat?" The Nine- tailed beast asked. He was resting on his back haunches. His fox- like legs folded neatly under him and his front legs in front. (He is sitting like the sphinx).

Though it was dark, his orange fur stood out like it was glowing, highlighting his black outlined crimson eyes.

Naruto shook his head, trying to clear some of the mugginess. "What happened?"

The Chakra beast sighed and closed his eyes, moving from his resting position to a standing one. He was huge, his size comparable to a small mountain, but Naruto wasn't fazed. It would be stranger if Kurama was suddenly the size of a dog.

"Can't you figure it out? Whatever, I figure,." He started, "In your fight against the Uchiha brat, you awakened... something. I don't really know what or who it is, but I know they were well protected, or guarded."

"I don't remember any of this." Naruto said. He tried to grasp for anything familiar about this story, but nothing came to mind.

"It happened moments ago, moron. I saw you walk into the cave and touch a glowing orb. This backfired you into the cave wall, but instead of hitting rock, you passed in it and here we are." Kurama growled that last part, "The other part of me hasn't found us yet, so we're stuck for now."

"So you're saying we're in a rock?" Naruto gathered. He fought back a growl of frustration…. It was getting hard to follow his words. Wait… He said them right?

"Did you hear nothing else I said?" Kurama demanded.

"Yeah, you said something about an orb. I think, but the thing Is…" Naruto looked confused. "Where am I and who are you?"

The nine tailed fox stared at the boy. His red eyes fixed on the blonde's blue. "You appear to be reverting."

"What?"

"Reverting to a previous state. This was much more than a cave… It seems to be-"

Something tugged at both Naruto and Kurama's conscious. They both yelped in surprise and looked around wildly. Pieces of rock and pipe crumbled and the room began to shake.

"It's responding to your state of mind, dammit!"

"Alright, lets get out of here!" Naruto shouted, and punched at a wall of weakened pipes.

"Agreed," Kurama yelled over the rumbling, and together, though Naruto's being was slipping and in essence dying, they managed to break down the mind- scape.

Everything disappeared the moment they took it down. They were suddenly floating in nothingness, neither sitting or standing, and drifting farther and farther apart.

Naruto's final thought before he was overcome with darkness, 'That's right… the fox's name is… Kurama...' And the Naruto that many loved, hated and adored, was forgotten. The powerful man was locked away, and a new one started to take his place.

Igneel, a mighty fire Dragon, beat his powerful wings in an ancient rhythm across his fiery realm. Lava and rock buzzed past under him, and he relaxed his forearm to skim across a larger pool of molten rock. He let it sizzle against his scales and claws before moving back into the sky.

"Where does the lave come from?" A light haired three year old asked. He was perched on the red dragon's head, clinging to his horn, though wasn't quite able to get his small arms around it.

"It is called lava," He corrected, "And it comes from volcanos."

"Where do volcannooosss come from?"

The dragon sighed, though he was very tempted, he wasn't going to send the boy into the pool of 'lave'.

Though it would stop this "Where did that come from" game.

Igneel was about to talk the boy to sleep, when he felt a presence.

"It can't be…" He muttered.

Kurama slowly became aware that he was lying on something hard. He opened his eyes slowly, needing to blink several times to wipe the grogginess from them.

When the world finally came into focus, he saw a giant -stark naked- sleeping human baby. The fox tilted his head to the side, normally the child was smaller than the parents; Though, this particular infant was still smaller than his mighty height, it still concerned him.

He rolled from his splayed out position to a proper sitting one and contemplated on whether or not to simply kill the baby.

It was sleeping - possibly already dead - and had a full head of blonde hair. And, quite obviously, a boy.

He became aware of the silence when sizzling met the dazed fox's ears. Kurama turned around and took in his other surroundings.

They were in a small cave covered in sulfuric dust and smog. Rock covered everything, making it a dark tomb. The scent of molten rock in the air hinted that they were near a volcano or a lava pit, but the popping sound pointed to the latter.

'I'd better check it out. Maybe it will give a clue to where I am. Or was.' He thought, and went to stand. His legs wobbled horribly and barely straightened before he fell back to the ground with a grunt.

'I'm heavy as lead... ' He thought bitterly.

This situation grew darker and darker. First there is a giant baby, then there is lava, and now this. He was unable to stand, let alone fend from attackers. If there was anyone near him. There wasn't anything light about this, but he didn't feel defeated.

It was strange, but he was sure there was solution. It was like a fire in his chest that burned as hot as the lava that surrounded him.

'I won't give up though,' Kurama almost heard,'No matter what happens, I won't give up.'

'Naruto...' His eyes widened. The fox put the phrase and the name together, and it all came back to him. His time spent as a youngling, his brief freedom, his years of being a prisoner, and his liberation. He remembered the moments before waking up.

He looked at this with a whole new viewpoint.

Was this Naruto's new dream scape?

If so, was this child a representation of Naruto's reverting?

What did that mean for him?

Kurama looked at the baby again and noticed the similarities, the blonde hair and the unmistakable whiskers on each cheek. But he didn't feel like he was trapped inside him anymore.

'But that means I no longer have a presence in the boy… this is bad.'

He shifted his ears toward the quiet infant and listened. He was still breathing and his heart was still beating. He wasn't dead.

'Stubborn Brat...' He thought, though he felt nothing but relief.

The soft popping from the lava was drowned out by a new sound. The beating of wings.

The beats constantly got louder and louder, and sounded heavy. This was a large creature, perhaps bigger than Kurama himself.

He forced himself to his feet and faced the entrance, a wave of protectiveness numbing his leg's screams at him to stop. He knew that he was the only thing between life and death for himself and the baby, Naruto.

Something large splashed outside the cave entrance. Droplets flew and sizzled on the floor just before the duo.

Kurama growled.

A scaly red snout appeared in the cave opening. It was still for a moment before breathing in deeply.

"Nine tailed fox?" It asked. It's voice was deep and grave.

He tried to speak, but a bark came out instead.

He growled again, momentarily forgetting about the intruder and shaking his head back and forth in frustration.

'We shall communicate this way then' A voice echoed in his mind. It sounded ruff, not unlike Kurama's own thoughts.

Kurama stopped shaking and thought back, sure the being could hear him, 'Leave us'

'You are in my realm, Nine tails, know who you address. Now, is the Orange- I mean- Naruto Uzumaki with you?'

As if in response, the baby woke up with a wail.

'...' Kurama couldn't shield him anymore. He growled low and quite, the small cave bouncing the sound around like it was playing catch. The creature let out a laugh that made Kurama's fur bristle.

'Don't fool yourself, Fox. The reason I don't break this cave open like an egg is because I don't mean you, or Naruto, harm. Do not try my patience." It let out a jet of smoke from it's nose, filling the cave. "Now come here fool, and bring the boy with you."

Kurama's first instinct was to deny that request; however, because he no longer had the ability to fight... his options were limited.

He forced himself to move on all fours- which oddly felt like standing- and picked Naruto up gently in his black outlined maw.

He limped to the cave entrance and his eyes narrowed.

Wading in a pool of lava was a Dragon. It was massive, and its bodily majority was covered with dark, red scales. It's lower body, specifically his belly, the inner portions of his long tail, and legs, was a beige color. His back has numerous black spikes, reaching down from the back to the end of his tail. The dragon had a triangular head with horns, a pair of large, round eyes with yellow pupils and a sharp horn pointing upwards just above his nose. It's large bony wings resemble a bat's, folded neatly behind his long- serpent like neck.

"Good, the boy lives." It said.

'Very much so.' Kurama winced as the infant's cries reached a whole new key. 'Why do you care?'

"Because he was the man that I owe everything to."

This only served to annoy Kurama more, but then the dragon grunted and instructed him to climb on his head.

The dragon stretched his neck to allow

easy access for the seething Fox and pushed off into the sky.

"We are headed to my cave." He said.

Kurama waited for the Dragon to explain more, but the lizard seemed contented to silence.

'Who are you?' He finally asked, 'you seem to know more than you should. Are you in contact with the Shinobi?'

The dragon sighed and flew higher to avoid a particularly tall Volcano.

"I had hoped to save this question for a time when there wasn't a baby in your teeth, but…"

It lowered its head down and put out a massive red- taloned scaly hand to accept the baby that Kurama placed gently in.

If it had wanted to kill them, it would have been easier to simply crush them at the cave. It was obviously not the Dragon's intention.

"To put it bluntly, I'm you."

'Sure, and I'm a-' Kurama fired back.

Without much patience, Igneel replied. "Watch your tone, fool."

'...''

"I shall start from back when the Shinobi Villages were the leading power in the world. When I was still a fool, my chakra was separated. The majority of it was me, and the minority was you. When Naruto disappeared, so did the chakra within him. I knew he didn't die because the rest of my chakra didn't return to me, but his friends and fellow villagers wouldn't take my word for it. Though they didn't believe what I said, they also respected Naruto enough to let me live in peace, and for a time, I did just that."

Igneel let this sink in.

'That doesn't explain why we aren't you- we- whatever- a fox now?'

"Because, along with other things, Chakra evolved abruptly. An... event forced another power into existence, something called Magic. I, a being made of Chakra, was forced to adapt to this new element. I was no longer Kurama the Nine- Tailed fox, I no longer acted like Kurama, so in essence, Kurama died. I took on a new body, mind, and name. I am the great Igneel, the King of Fire Dragon. But now that you have returned, Kurama lives…well... In a way."

Kurama thought about that for a moment. It sounded crazy, absurd even, but he knew of one sure way to tell.

'If we truly used to be the same being, then tell me, What am I truly the embodiment of?' (It's not Hate by the way)

Igneel looked up as if he could see the fox, and told him. This washed away any doubt in Kurama's mind that the story that Igneel told him was anything but the truth.

'Alright. I still don't buy that you are me, but you obviously know me very well... Or knew... But why am I outside of Naruto's body?'

"My best guess? You seem to both revert." Igneel knew that this was probably hard for a creature like kurama to grasp. Someone who used doubt to survive.

'So I noticed. I am weaker, I can't speak. But that doesn't mean... Wait… He didn't grow into a giant baby, did he?'

Igneel decided it was best to let him come to his own conclusions on this subject.

'I SHRUNK!' Igneel winced at how loudly Kurama thought this. 'And my hands… they are nothing but Paws! I can't even speak and… don't tell me… NO! NO NO No NO NO! I will not… NO!'

Igneel chuckled, "You have only have one tail's worth of chakra in a physical body."

'My sign of dominance! My pride! My tails, they are gone! I was the strongest of all of the beasts, and now I am comparable to a...a...dog!''

Now Igneel was all out laughing,making his shoulders and head bob.

'You find this amusing? F$&amp; you! I can still beast bomb-' The infuriated vulpine roared.

Igneel snapped to serious very quickly. "I would advise against using any Chakra. The chakra that we used to know is repressed and isolated by this magic. It would take someone with extraordinary power to break that isolation and draw from it once more. Someone with more power than even I." Igneel explained. "You will learn to live with these… changes in time. Who knows, perhaps you will evolve as well."

'I'm done with questions.' Kurama stated, and let his tired limbs give out.

Igneel felt the fox lay down and sighed. Had he ever really been that care- free? To not have to worry about anything but himself and his siblings?

Igneel reflected a time he hadn't thought of in years. The time he spent as Kurama, the 'embodiment of hatred'. He had been so angry. Angry at man, at his father, at his siblings, and above all, Naruto.

No, he corrected, He hadn't been mad at Naruto.

The loneliness that had followed Naruto's disappearance had shaped his future choices. He had seeked companionship and camaraderie. He learned many things… much more than he had known he didn't know. So no, he couldn't have hated Naruto.

But that all changed, like so many times before. Something happens, people die, and others grow to take their place. Only his siblings and memories remained constant throughout his years and years of life, but now he was isolated from them as well.

His sensitive scales felt the baby squirm once more and he pulled his reptilian eyes from the seemingly endless expanse of lava and rock to gaze at his clawed fist. He opened it just enough to catch a glimpse. The boy's arms and legs were slackened with relaxation, and his belly plump and round. The Dragon closed his fist again so that the Naked babe wouldn't get cold or feel the brunt force of the winds he rode. He turned his attention back to his course.

Igneel smiled, he was just as he remembered him. Whiskers and all.

"I owe the man you used to be much." He informed the infant, "But, you are no longer the man you were."

Then he thought of something else he hadn't thought of in hundreds of years, how could he repay him?

The answer was: He couldn't. That Naruto was gone, perhaps forever, and in his place was a baby with his features alone.

His future was unwritten. He could end up the same, or completely different.

As Igneel approached his and Natsu's home, it occurred to him.

He could give this Naruto something that the old Naruto craved: a family.

It couldn't make up for his old life, but it was a start.

He slowed his flying and kicked his hind legs into the rock beneath him, causing the fox to unintentionally fly off his head.

"Aroooo!" Kurama cursed in surprise, and flew into the rocky wall with a crash. He peeled slowly off the rock and landed in a heap on the rock floor.

The noise woke a certain pink haired boy. He yawned and waddled to the entrance, pausing when he heard a yelp under his foot.

"What are you?"

Igneel's eyes softened as his son stepped out of the cave, messy haired and dragging around his blanket.

"Kurr rawf gurrr." The fox spat at the three year old. He took a threatening stance and Igneel's temper flared. He opened his mouth and let out a roar that shook the ground Kurama stood on.

"Stand down fool. This is my son." He boomed.

Kurama glared up at the ferocious Dragon and slowly lowered his eyes. But he didn't stop glaring.

Natsu wasn't frightened, and instead raced to the fox yelling "Let's fight!"

Snorting at the temporarily subdued kitsune, he adopted a much gentler tone. "Now is not the time. This is... Red. He is going to be staying with us for a bit. Back to bed."

"But daddy, I want to fight!" The pink haired boy pouted. He was short for a three- year old, but it was very obvious he was active. Hardly any baby- fat remained. He was also wearing nothing but underwear… something Igneel would have to fix when he got older.

"I will NOT repeat myself. Now go to bed or we won't fight in the morning." Igneel threatened, and the boy comprehended this and ran back inside.

'You just repeated yourself.' Kurama snickered.

Rage shot through Igneel "SILENCE, fool." Igneel snarled, flame sparking in his throat.

Kurama humphed at the Dragon's words, but didn't say anything else.

Igneel took a calming breath.

"Alright, what we do from here."

'What is with this Red?'

"I know and understand the power of names, Kurama is the ninetailed fox, you have one tail. If you wish to tell someone your real name, that's your business, but I will call you Red."

'So you have multiple personality disorder? Fine then.'

Igneel bit back a retort. He understood himself far better than he thought and knew that this was as close to agreement as he was going to get.

'I'll be stayin here. No way will I abandon Naruto.'

Igneel sighed. "Fine. But when you have no reason to stay, leave."

Kurama raised the equivalent of an eyebrow at the Dragon. 'Looks like we haven't changed much.''

Igneel snorted. "You are the last creature I would pity."

Kurama's crimson eyes gleamed with malice, 'Good. And the boy?'

"Raising him is how I shall honor Uzumaki, but this child is no longer the Naruto you and I knew." The Dragon informed.

'I refuse to accept he is gone-'

"Fool, This child will be completely different. He will not be lonely, and he won't be judged on anything but his accomplishments. He will grow up with a family, I will teach him everything I can before… And Natsu would love a brother. I will not carry that expectation over Naruto Dragneel's head." Igneel stated, and with one final snort at Kurama, he carried the infant into the cave.

Kurama knew he wasn't invited inside, the touchy dragon was still fuming about his comment on parenting. He would have to watch what he said… Or thought...

I am reduced to this state, Naruto is gone, Chakra is nowhere to be sensed, and I have to spend an X amount of time in a hot and smelly land with a hot-headed dragon... Or multiple Dragons in one body...

Sleep seemed to be the best course of action.

Meanwhile, in the cave.

"I'm sleeping!" Natsu called out, hoping to appease his surrogate father. Fighting was a game that he wanted to play.

"Then wake up, my boy." Igneel chuckled.

"Ok!" The three year old happily sat up in his 'bed' and made his way toward Igneel.

"I want you to be really quiet, there is someone I want you to meet."

"OK!" Natsu screamed, and clapped his small hands in excitement.

Igneel sighed as Naruto woke up. It was too soon to punish Natsu. Too soon.

"In- cave voice. This is Naruto. Your little brother." The mighty fire dragon explained, hoping Natsu could comprehend.

"A bruder? Whats a bruder?" He wondered, sticking his fingers in his mouth in concentration.

Igneel explained it in the simplest way he knew. "He is going to be my son. So now I have two sons. You and Naruto. You two can play together someday, but he is too small now. "

The little toddler broke out in a wide- toothy grin. "A Bruner? Yay! Hello Nuto. You are going to be my Bruder." He jumped out of bed and waddled over to his adoptive father's outstretched claw.

Naruto didn't object, so Natsu scooped him up like one would hold a teddy bear and stormed over to his makeshift bed. Naruto's wails ceased when Natsu tucked him in next to him and let the blonde use his arm as a pillow.

"Good night my Slayers." Igneel cooed and curled up behind so his head was next to them.

He watched Kurama from beyond the cave entrance with narrowed eyes, daring him to comment, but the fox seemed to know his place.

Content, Igneel let his eyes fall shut.

"Dad? Where do bruders come from?"

"Caves Natsu, special caves."

XXX Five years later XXX

A child, who couldn't be older than six, laid on the floor. He stared up at the dark ceiling illuminated by small fires and lava streams that lined the walls and floor. Stalagmites made of dripping lava jutted out frequently on the ceiling- about 30 feet up- ...made for perfect targets.

The blonde, in nothing but black shorts and dirty socks, took in a deep breath.

He focused his energy in the back of his throat and… nothing. A jet of orange flames was supposed to erupt from his mouth, but he couldn't seem to do it. No matter how many different ways he thought about it or tried, it was always nothing.

"Dammit." He whispered. His father had just taught him how to breath fire, a treat because Naruto had been good. Then his draconian father told him to go off and practice. He could do it when his Dad or Brother lent him some fire, but he couldn't make any on his own.

Finally, both he and his surrogate father needing a break, Igneel called Natsu over to train.

"I wonder what he's learning... " He mused.

Naruto sat up and leaned on his arms lazily. His blue eyes fell on the fox perched on a near- by stone.

"What do you think, Red? Is Natsu gonna show me up with some crazy cool move?" Asked Naruto, pouting.

Red merely stood up and trotted over to the boy. Naruto rose to meet him, the boy and Fox stopping a few steps away.

Naruto stood just under shoulder height of the red eyed fox, barely under his chin.

Red, with a knowing gleam, jumped at Naruto.

Instead of retreating in fear, the boy beamed at the fox and jumped to him as well. In less than a second, Naruto jumped over Red and turned mid-air so that they were facing the same direction. Then he threw his legs down so that he was firmly on Red's… Snout.

The Fox growled and threw his nose up, sending Naruto the extra few feet to his back as they landed on the ground.

Naruto didn't waste time grabbing on with his hands and tightened his knees as the kitsune took off. The speed Red gained plastered his fur to his flank and Naruto's unkempt hair back. They went on a course they knew well, as Kurama had been using Naruto's weight as strength training for a year now. Along the cave wall and out around the lava pool. The course was dotted with jumps and quick turns, making Red think about his every move. At first, the Fox couldn't go faster than a trot without Naruto falling off, but with more practice - and lots of fur being torn off - Naruto could hang on for any speed.

"I'm going to try my new move." Naruto yelled over the wind.

This run didn't just benefit Kurama, it also allowed for Naruto to practice his aim and balance. While he didn't know any big moves yet, he could still throw punches and small fireballs a good distance away.

Red responded by slowing down and evening out his pace, making Naruto's ride less bumpy.

Naruto picked out a section of wall and took a deep breath. He then let it out, but only smoke and a flicker of flame showed.

Naruto grinned from ear to ear and let out a WHOOP of excitement.

'Do it again' The fox instructed.

"It was supposed to be fire." Naruto grumbled. "But at least it was something." Naruto and Igneel were the only ones who could hear Red, leaving a frustrated Natsu trying to hear him too.

'Think Naruto! Just picture the energy circling around in you, and all of it converging on the one spot you wish to unleash it.'

Naruto blanked after energy. "Uhhh…" He mumbled.

'Moron. Ok, think of fire going round and round. Then, the magic fire wheel flies to your mouth and makes things go boom.'

"Ok, I'll try it!" He enthusiastically yelled. He did as Red told him, and thought of fire swirling round and round in him. When the circle got fast enough he let it out and Fweushh! He blew a jet of blue energy in front of them and at the ground. It crackled as it made contact, startling the young Slayer enough to lose focus.

The beam of energy made a billow of dust and debris when it hit. The orange fox veered to the right to avoid getting caught in the surprisingly powerful attack.

"Did you see that!? I did it!" Naruto cheered.

Red could only gape at the crater the attack left behind. It was nothing compared to the divots Naruto Uzumaki used to create, but it was impressive.

'Why didn't you just do that earlier?' The fox chided.

"Layoff! I did something didn't I?"

'I suppose. But do it again, this time away from my path.'

"OK!"

They continued through the rest of the course, Naruto sometimes doing well, sometimes not.

While Red kept his comments critical, inside he was actually impressed with how well the boy was doing. Before this breakthrough, Naruto struggled to produce even the tiniest flame without borrowing fire from Igneel or Natsu.

When they got back home, Natsu was waiting for them. He was wearing an old, torn up blue shirt and black shorts. His hair was light and pink; the two boys were oblivious to the somewhat 'girly' nature of it.

"Hey, Naruto! Check this out!" Natsu called over to said blonde.

"Yeah?" The five year old shouted and slid off Red. He raced over to where the older boy was.

Natsu smirked in concentration and flared his arms with fire, holding them above his head and out to his sides, impersonating wings. Then he flung them forward, sending two lines of fire in an X toward a wall.

"I call it, wings of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu proudly declared. "Cause it looks like wings!"

"That's so cool!" Naruto awed, "Dad teaches you the coolest stuff, I wish I was older."

Kurama shook out his pelt and padded over to his rock. It seemed like he had watched them grow on this 'bed'. One minute Igneel was wrestling with Naruto's diapers and the next he is training them both to become powerful mages. The thing that amazed him though, was that they thought it was a game.

They practiced every day, fighting stances, kicks, punches, conditioning, mostly without Igneel ever telling them to.

Being able to call on Fire effortlessly gave Natsu an edge over Naruto. He couldn't burn his younger brother, but it was still blinding. His ability with fire could only get him so far, however, because Naruto picked up on fighting stances and hand to hand just as fast. Though he couldn't control fire as well, they were pretty evenly matched.

"Guess what! I did a fire Dragon Roar!" Naruto boasted.

Natsu smiled, " Lets see."

The blonde was happy to oblige. He faced the same wall as the Fire dragon wing attack and took a deep breath, imagining the fire swirling around him, and released. The blue flames crackled against the wall and blew away chunks of rock.

"Wow!" Natsu gawked, "Blue fire… Sweet!"

"Yeah, so now I can beat you up!"

"I'd like to see you try."

They wrestled then and fumbled on the ground for a while until they were out of breath and just laid down and stared at the ceiling.

"What makes a dragon so powerful?" Naruto asked.

"That's easy," Natsu answered, "Dad's fire is really really hot. It can burn anything!"

"I know that, but I was thinking... How about how big and strong he is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well salamanders can breath fire but Dragons can kick their butt any day!" Naruto decided, punching the air above him like it was a salamander.

"What makes Dad really powerful is his fire." Natsu contradicted, sitting up so he could look him in the eye.

"No, strength makes a dragon strong. It's even in the word!"

"Is not!" Natsu exclaimed, and tackled Naruto, sending them both rolling into Kurama. Naruto pushed back against Natsu and they struggled, yelling "fire!" and "strength!"

Igneel appeared then and blew fire at the two, successfully breaking it up. They looked up in surprise, and both started talking.

This did nothing for Igneel's newest headache, so he blew fire over them again.

They were silent.

"What is it this time." Igneel sighed and regarded them with his head held high. "Natsu, speak."

"Naruto was shouting that it was strength that made a Dragon powerful, but I know its fire!" The slightly singed boy summed up, "We were just…"

"I was just sayin' I thought it was strength and teeth and claws.. But then Natsu tackled me!"

"You deserved it."

"Enough! Both of you. This disappoints me. You are brothers, you are supposed to look out for eachother, not beat the other up over something so foolish."

They looked down at the ground shame faced.

"Sorry…" Natsu mumbled.

"Yeah, Sorry." Naruto said back.

The great fire dragon nodded in approval, and the tension broke.

"So this all started because you think you know what makes a Dragon strong?" Igneel gathered.

The boys nodded their heads and waited for the answer they felt coming.

"What makes a dragon powerful is," Igneel paused and looked them each in the eye, bringing his head down, "His heart."

"What? Its his fire!" Natsu protested. "Dad, tell him how you took out a whole army with one roar!"

"Oh yeah? Tell him how you shattered a mountain with just your tail!"

"Boys! A warrior can have all the power in the world, but a weaker mage with a cause greater than himself, will find power he didn't know he had." Igneel said.

This held their attention for a whopping 10 seconds before they fought fire and strength once again.

The great and mighty Igneel shook his head at his sons and turned back to his previous task.

Kurama jumped up the side of the cave and landed on Igneel's head.

"The real world would swallow them alive." Kurama thought.

"You will make them understand when they're older." The great Fire dragon said.

"Perhaps… but why-" The fox grumbled.

"They are going to be powerful, and Natsu will look out for Naruto. Actually, it might be the other way around." Igneel wistfully said. "If Naruto recovers his memories is another matter. We must protect him for as long as we can, because when he learns the truth, he will change."

'Old man, I agree, but after what happened that one time… I don't think we can hide it forever.'

"We must. Have I ever told you how the world remembered Naruto?"

Kurama shook his head.

"The villages are long gone, but their story remains. Or a version anyway. The stupid Humans can't keep their history straight… Anyway, I don't know the specifics anymore, but the people remember Uzumaki as the Orange Hope. Show my sons the story, fool."

'You and your damn riddles. Anyway, Naruto did the Roar.'

"Of course he did, he is my son."

'Humph. We didn't think it possible since his body is wired for Chakra and not Magic. Showed us, stubborn brat.'

"I had no doubt in my mind he could, though you are right. His body and mind seemed to revert, but it seems there is some muscle memory from his past life. That is why the stances come so easily to him… who knows what else he might take from Uzumaki."

They fell into silence, Red on top of Igneel dozing.

The fire dragon was content to just watch his boys play.

XXX XXX

A few weeks later, their argument was never resolved, but they agreed to disagree as most brothers do.

They were taking a break from training that day and opted to play out by the front of the cave.

Natsu, having an idea for the best game ever, went to collect the needed supplies. Naruto stayed behind to 'keep an eye out for monsters'.

It was entertaining for a few moments, but then his mind wandered to other things.

I know Natsu is older, but I want to be strong too. I'm tired of getting beat up all the time, I bet Dad was never dead last.

Naruto looked at his fists, and lit them on fire. 'How cool would it be to be a Dragon?... I wonder,' he thought. Then he held both together and sat down, closing his eyes.

What to do next wasn't hard to figure out for him and he envisioned a leaf in his palms. Concentrating on the leaf, he thought of fire going around his body, and hardening his skin. In his mind's eye, he saw himself growing scales and horns and a tail until he looked like his adoptive father.

This was relaxing. He lost track of time and thought about nothing but the fire swirling around him. He was so immersed in his task, that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Natsu's voice broke his thoughts "You look weird."

Startled, Naruto jumped up. "What? Where?" He gasped, and looked around.

Natsu's eyes narrowed and he cocked his head, "How are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" Then Naruto looked down at himself and His eyes widened.

His skin had taken on a dark and earthy color spotted with rectangular scale like patterns, and a light glow emanated around it. His hands and feet had a sharper look, resembling claws.

"Looks like scales!" Naruto exclaimed.

"...Can you feel this?" Natsu challenged, and came full force at him, punching the smaller boy in the shoulder.

Naruto heard the thump of the impact, but didn't feel anything.

"OWWW!" Natsu held his hand and rolled away, "Yeah, those are definitely scales. How did you do that?"

"I just… Imagined a leaf… and me looking like Dad." Naruto explained. Looking at his arms and legs again in wonder. He still had his plain white shirt, black pants, and socks looking the same, so it probably replaced his skin.

"You don't really look like a dragon… but you do have scales..." Natsu scratched his head, "I know! Call it Armor of the Fire Dragon!"

"Yeah... Armor of the Fire Dragon! But wait... Uhh…" Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. His mouth made an O and his eyes got wide. "Crap! What if i'm stuck like this! What do I do? What do I do?" Naruto begged his older brother.

"Don't look at me, you did it." Natsu said, unconcerned. He shoved his brother's pleading fists from his shorts.

"Dad?!" Naruto screamed, and rushed back to their cave, giving up on his brother's knowledge. Natsu laughed and turned back to his project.

When Naruto got to the cave, he looked around frantically, but didn't see his father.

"I did (this) and I don't know how to… to… un- do it!" Naruto screamed as he spotted Red instead and ran up to him.

Red fixed Naruto with a hard look, holding the boy's eyes. He looked him up and down, then he returned to his eyes. The orange fox swayed his head back and forth hypnotically.

Naruto followed the fox's movements and eventually swayed with him.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Red tilted his ears with the direction of his head sways, and Naruto's skin slowly went back to normal.

"Naruto, where are ya? I want to play the game. Oh, there you are, come on."The older boy wandered in in boredom.

Naruto, however, kept swaying back and forth even after the kitsune had trotted back to his rock, having completed his duty.

Natsu took the opportunity to tackle Naruto to the ground and give him a noogie.

"Wake up! I want to play a cool game!" The scarf wearing boy screamed in his brother's ear.

"What game?" Naruto asked, snapping out of the hypnosis and rubbing his head.

"Mages and Dragons." Natsu said and got off of his brother.

Naruto shook his head. "I don't want to be a Mage. Can I be the dragon?"

Natsu frowned and imitated a lower voice, "Fine, but you'll have to kill me first."

There was a moment of silence between the two before they burst out giggling.

It was a part of a bedtime story that Igneel would tell, and their favorite. Mages and Dragons.

The two laughed and bounded away, Naruto showing Natsu how he did 'Armor of the dragon', and trying to teach him, while Natsu was convincing him to play his game.

'I doubt you could do it anyway brat, Naruto uses an old magic and he doesn't even know it himself.' Kyuubi thought with amusement, and laid his head back down. Not that he was tired, it was just habit.

"How cool would it be to have a fire sword?" Naruto dreamed. "Then it would be a full set!"

"And what is a sword?" Natsu indulged, giving up on trying to deter the blonde's attention.

"A pointy stick that is so sharp, it can cut through anything. Like this!" Naruto mimicked a sword by wielding his arm and slashing it through the air.

"Like this?" Natsu smirked, and crashed forward at Naruto with his right forearm on fire and knocking the blonde to the ground. "Fire Dragon's Sword!" Natsu cried, and laughed.

Naruto rubbed his head and glared at his brother, preparing a retort when-

"Boys! Come here!" Igneel called, and the two raced to find the Dragon.

"Sleep time?" Natsu yawned, already getting in his bed.

"Can we hear the Mage and the Dragon?" Naruto begged, following Natsu.

With a chuckle, Igneel shook his head. "No, tonight I tell you a new story."

He waited until they were comfortably tucked in before beginning

" One day, a Salamander came out of his den. As any other, this Salamander's maw let out jets of steam and fire. This fire turned all that it touched to ash- all except the mighty Igneel- and any bug that was unfortunate enough to cross his path.

"Now, as it is with flies, they live short and unimportant lives. They do nothing but fly around the heads of other creatures and bother them with their noise, and tickling with their feet.

"As the Salamander came out of the bushes, he saw a hoard of these flies. Finding them to be a nuisance, he was about to blow them to dust, when a glowing bug stood in his path.

"Intrigued, he quelled the flames and allowed the glowing bug to approach. 'Who are you to stand in my path? Don't you know who I am, and what I can do to you?' The Salamander bellowed, and blew into the air to prove his point.

" 'I just want to protect them no matter how much pain befalls me.' The firefly yelled, and charged at the fire breather. This amused the Salamander greatly, and let the glowing fly batter him away for a moment, but then grew tired of this and blew his fiery breath. The glowing bug would not burn however, and continued to tickle his nose and buzz in his ears until the Salamander went away.

"The flies were no more aware of his heroics than before, and continued to be flies, but the glowing bug never left their side."

As Igneel finished his story, his boys were long asleep.

Perhaps, as all story tellers hope, his meaning would take hold. But it was more believable that he would use this story again to get them asleep so that he could enjoy quiet… yes…

XXX Months later XXX

Igneel, the one and only, opened his yellow eyes to a new day. The cave was quite, Red out for his morning run and the boys taking full advantage of their new beds. He looked down at them with a small draconian smile.

Naruto was sprawled out, arms and legs going every which way, and Natsu curled on his side trying to take up little room, used to his brother's sleeping habits.

They were peaceful. Too peaceful for a Dragon's liking.

Their father snorted smoke at them and successfully woke up his Slayers.

"Dad!" Naruto whined. He rolled over and attempted to hide under his pillow.

"You remember what today is, right?" Natsu yawned and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He sat up on the edge of his bed.

Naruto thought drowsily a moment, then a smile broke out. He took off the pillow and looked up at Igneel and asked "Is it today?"

"Yes, My boy, it is." The fire dragon chuckled.

Naruto jumped of the bed and unintentionally kicked Natsu's head.

"Why you little…" Natsu growled, and grabbed Naruto by his messy hair, holding him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Doesn't hurt my back- at all!" Naruto managed to say over Natsu's evil chuckles.

"Let him go."

"Awww. Fine."

The family made their way out of the cave and past the pool of lava in front of it. Red met them at the end, and grumbled about his missed exercise.

"This is so awesome!" Natsu cried, holding fists in the air. He was always excited, but training away from the cave was always his favorite.

"All aboard!" Igneel laughed, and bend his front left four leg so his passengers could make it to his back.

When they were on, he took off.

"Oi, where are we going?" Naruto called over the flapping of wings.

"No idea!" Natsu responded.

Naruto shrugged and laid back against his father's warm scales. He watched the sky of smoke and ash dance above him in patterns and swirls.

Natsu looked behind his seat and saw his brother fast asleep.

"Leave it to Naruto to fall asleep in two seconds."

"He has quite a habit." Igneel agreed. "What is our record this time?"

"Three. Two seconds shorter than the time we went to the mountains. That was a long fall..." Natsu reported, and grimaced at the memory.

Igneel grunted his agreement and started their slow descent.

"What's the lesson today?"

"Patience, my boy. You will see soon enough."

Natsu groaned in boredom and shifted his attention to Red.

"Hey, wanna play?" He challenged.

Red kept 'sleeping'.

"You never wanna play with me. All you ever do is run or give rides to Naruto. What's your problem?" The eight-year-old bared his teeth in comical frustration as the kitsune continued to nap.

The duration of their journey was spent with Natsu being the most obnoxious and loudest child in existence, and Red being reduced to holding his ears. Naruto, of course, slept through all of it and only opened his eyes when Igneel landed.

"Dad!" He whined, and rolled over.

Natsu, being the ever- loving brother he is, slid over by Naruto and… rolled him off Igneel's mighty back and into the lava below before following him.

Igneel let them splash each other and play in the shallow molten hot lava and turned to get today's lesson in wielding fire set up.

A normal family indeed.

Naruto and Natsu jumped around in the pit, seeing who could make the bigger splash. This evolved, like it always did, to an all out brawl.

"Armor of the Fire Dragon!" Naruto shouted. He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes until his skin hardened and darkened to an earthy brown. Rectangle scales dotted his arms and legs as he opened his eyes.

"I'm not holding back," Natsu warned.

"You never do." Naruto answered, and charged him headfirst.

Natsu jumped up in the air when Naruto got close enough and aimed below him. "Brilliant Flame!" Red hot fire flared under him and enveloped the blonde in a wave of burning heat.

Natsu jumped back a ways to wait for Naruto's retaliation, but only munching could be heard.

As the flames disappeared, Natsu could see that his brother had devoured them.

"Thanks for the meal," Naruto said and wiped the side of his mouth.

"Man! Forgot you could do that now… Ahh whatever." Natsu recovered.

Before Naruto could make a snide comment in return, Igneel called to them.

Natsu looked in the direction and beamed, "Dad's done!" Then he took off running up and out of the lava. "Race ya!"

"No fair, you got a head start and I can't move as fast in this!" The blonde whined, but that didn't mean he didn't try.

XXX A few years later XXX

"A cave?"

"A very special cave."

A few years had grown Naruto out of his lanky self and added a few layers of muscle. He also had grown into his hair a bit more and it no longer looked like a big blonde Afro. He wore an orange shirt with grey pants and a skinny white scale patterned scarf wrapped around his neck. (Natsu's scarf pattern.)

Natsu had also grown, still about a head taller than his brother and bulkier. He wore his blue ripped shirt and black/ dark grey bottoms. He too had a white scarf around his neck, but it was bigger than Naruto's.

Both were sitting on the edge of the lava pool in front of their home, and dangling their bare feet over the edge.

"I remember when Dad brought you home. Earlier that day we fought monsters, big black ones that breathed water! We raided their base, but I got separated from him and they backed me into a corner… I was younger then, so I couldn't fight my way out. Their teeth came this close to my face, when it happened. Lights shot out from the cracks in the walls and the monsters looked over, long enough for me to make it back to Dad, and the cave exploded. Boosh! Fish cakes and Ramen shot at the monsters and they went into the lava. Tsss! There was a geyser for a good long while, before it calmed down and stopped. Then we heard a baby cry, and Dad picked you up.

"That is the day I got a brother. Dad called you Naruto, in honor of the ramen that you came from." The pink haired boy finished with a grin his brother's way.

Naruto sat up taller and smiled back. "I could beat up monsters before I could walk."

Natsu only laughed and stood up.

"I wonder where Red went off to." He said.

"Probably to sleep, but tell me more about the cave!"

"I already told you everything, would you shut up about it?"

"I think you're keeping something from me, that can't be it!"

A certain fox was currently laughing his guts out behind a boulder. They were serious! This was a heart to heart moment and they were completely serious.

'Kurama, it's time. You know what to do.'

Red answered Igneel's summons after another five minutes of solid laughter.

'Time for what?'

The kitsune stood before the mighty dragon, who was laying on the cave floor.

Igneel picked up his head solemnly, and gazed down at the orange kitsune. This unsettled him, because instead of the wisdom and joy that the old dragon usually showed, he was sad.

'Do not not be alarmed. This was always part of the plan, and I have ignored it for long enough. I guess that part of you still exists in me, the ability to ignore the inevitable.'

He chuckled without humor.

'I still don't understand, Old man. Would you stop ignoring my question?'

'There will come a time, when it seems easier to walk away. Just remember, you owe me.'

That was all he said -or all Red heard- and everything was black.

.XXX XXX

Makarov, a short and elderly man, trudged down an old beaten path. His feet crunched the light snow beneath and the sound echoed off the bare and grey trees he was surrounded by.

It was just about nightfall and he was very late.

"If I survive to live another year, let me get a time lacrima!" He whined in dread. He doubled his pace and tripled his already many aches.

Makarov came to a sudden halt.

To this day, he himself doesn't know why he did. He figures it could be because it was hard to miss such a boy. With his shorts and bare feet in the dead of winter, or the forlorn look on his face. But the more probable reason, was because he was looking for an excuse for his tardiness.

"Ho there, lad. Didn't mean to run you over." He smiled kindly at the boy.

The boy, who looked to be travel weary, slowly looked at the man.

"You're short." Was the brilliant statement, and Makarov forced a smile.

"I suppose I am. Cold day to be without shoes." The old mage observed, barely holding back the wack he wanted to dish out.

Said boy looked puzzled, "Is it normal to wear shoes? Dad said…" He trailed off sadly and looked away.

"It all depends on who you talk to I suppose," Makarov smoothly covered, "Where are you headed?"

He shrugged.

"Are you with somebody? Where is your family?"

"My brother is with Red. They went to find a… a... " He struggled with the word, "town." He finally said shyly. He was subdued, but not hostile. Makarov could tell the boy wasn't frightened of him, just thinking very deeply about something else. But he was so young...

Makarov was concerned now, this boy couldn't be older than seven. What kind of responsible adult would let a child like this wander about? Ones that hoped to heaven they wouldn't meet him!

"Well, why don't I wait for them with you? I'm Makarov, what's your name?"

"It is proper eda- eda- educate to say your own name before asking someone else's." The boy recited after a moment, and a small proud smile followed when Makarov nodded.

"And your name is-"

"Oh! Right, I am Naruto Dragneel. Pleases to meet you!"

"It's… Oh, never mind." Makarov overlooked the grammar mistake, sensing that the boy hadn't introduced himself much.

"Awww, I totally forgot!" Naruto whined, "I was supposed to ask anyone who came down this road if they knew if there was a toe- ti- town near- by. They wouldn't let me come with them cause I was too slow. But I've been practicing... Wanna see?" He tentatively offered, and beamed when Makarov nodded.

The Blonde ran in circles around the short master, talking about how he was going to do this and that when he saw his brother and this 'Red'. Makarov couldn't help but smile when planning turned to gloating and parading through the snow. Minutes turned to an hour, and Makarov could feel the cold seeping through his clothes. He shivered and pulled his white cloak around his shoulders tighter.

"Hey, are you OK?" Naruto asked, pausing in his story about the Salamander and the fly.

"Just getting a chill. Aren't you cold?"

"No. Dad said that there was a fire in my belly." Naruto giggled and rubbed his stomach.

"Is that so? You are an odd one."

"I am not!" He bristled.

"I don't mean it as an insult. You would fit right in in my guild."

Naruto, relaxed that he wasn't insulted, became the curious boy he was. "What's a guild?"

"Well a broad definition is: a place where mages can go to get jobs. I like to think it's more like a family though." The old mage explained, and took a seat in the middle of the road, pulling the cloak tighter.

"There's other mages? Dad never said...I'm a mage! Wanna see?"

Makarov's eyes opened in mild surprise. "You? But you are so young."

"Just watch me." Naruto stepped back and faced away from their little spot, taking a deep breath.

"Fire Dragon: Roar!" He shouted, and a brilliant jet of blue flames erupted from his mouth and scorched the line of trees. "See, I told you I can do magic!" He said proudly, his thin little face in a wide grin.

Makarov, on the other hand, was speechless.

"Was that dragon slayer magic?" He inquired in a more serious voice.

The little blonde contemplated this, then shrugged and took his seat. "It's my magic."

Makarov calmed down a little. Perhaps this was just reminiscent of years past. Besides, if this boy had seen a dragon, he surely would have said something by now.

Naruto looked up suddenly.

"Here they come! I hope they didn't have any fun." He hid his relief with that last statement, which amused Makarov greatly.

The old mage turned the direction Naruto was looking, but didn't see more than pink hair before he was blown over and pinned by some invisible force. He grunted in surprise, but suppressed his instinct to release his magical energy and thunder down his wrath upon the newcomer.

"Naruto, who is he?" The pink haired boy demanded.

"Get off him Red! That's Makarov and he's nice!" The blonde growled, and attacked the air above the shorter man. He tried to push it off, but it seemed to strong or too heavy.

So, it wasn't the other boy who attacked him. Then there must be a third person here, one big enough to restrain his weight lifted off him slowly, as if it was threatening him.

Natsu stalked forward and helped Makarov to his feet. "Wow, you weren't joking, he is short. Hi, I'm Natsu Dragneel. Have you seen a Dragon by the name of Igneel?"

Makarov held in his shock.

It was true, these boys were dragon slayers.

"There haven't been dragons in Fantasia for hundreds of years." Was all he could say.

Makarov watched the boy closely trying to gauge his reaction, but the older boy's pale face remained just as determined as before.

"Well thanks anyway. Come on Naruto, we're going to find a town, then we're going to find Igneel." He barked. He turned to the line of barren trees. Red nudged the little blonde in the same direction, but he stayed in place. Naruto looked like he was about to say something, when Makarov spoke.

"Wait just a moment," The authority in Makarov's voice made Natsu stop, "Think about it. I told you there haven't been dragons here for centuries. What do you plan to-"

Now it was Naruto's turn to speak, and he spoke with a wisdom beyond his years.

"It doesn't matter." The blonde looked directly into the old man's eyes. "It has been nice talking to you gramps, I really had fun, but we have to go." He looked determined, but there was an undertone of disappointment. He didn't want to say goodbye to this man. He felt lost without Igneel around. Even though he knew Red would watch out for them, he felt like his brother and him were constantly in danger. Without the safe feeling of being with their father… he didn't know what to do. It terrified him.

Even if it was only for a few short hours, this Makarov had made Naruto feel at ease again, different than Igneel had, but similar.

"No, I can't in good conscious let two boys go into the world alone."

"We can take care of ourselves." Natsu said defensively, still turned the other way. Naruto looked up at his brother… if Natsu didn't think it was a good idea, then Naruto would trade that feeling for him.

He wouldn't lose any more family. He would go where Natsu and Red went.

Makarov shook his head.

"Do you have anywhere to go?"

This made the pink haired boy pause.

"Anywhere to sleep? Somewhere warm to laugh and play? Food on the table? Hmm? No? Then as master, I hereby invite you to join the Fairy Tail guild."

Natsu looked at the little man, then at Red. Natsu nodded and a look of understanding passed between them. Then they turned their attention to the third being in their party, and then back to Makarov.

"Well?" Makarov prodded.

Natsu took a second before answering, "Will there be a town there?"

"You can ask around and look for your Dragon as much as you want. All I am offering is a... home base. Now come on." He turned back to the road and started the long trek back to Magnolia.

"I guess we can check it out. Red's coming too." Naruto informed, moving to follow Makarov. He couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

'Are you sure this is a good idea? We hardly even know this man.' Red yelled into Naruto's head, 'I swear… I leave alone for an hour and you send us to a GUILD'

Naruto shrugged.

Makarov saw this motion and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I found something weird about Red," Natsu said thoughtfully, "Whenever we found someone, they couldn't see him. Even if I pointed him out."

"Were you hiding?" Naruto sneered. The boy looked to his right. Some kind of communication seemed to happen between him and another. "Ha! that's a big word! No, I don't think so. I bet you were hiding like a scared bat… oh… cat!"

"Who is this Red?" Makarov asked Natsu.

"You can't see him either, huh. He's a mean old fox. He never gives me a ride, even if I hurt my toe!" Natsu pouted. He gave a pointed look at Naruto, "But Naruto on the other hand he follows and gives him rides all the time. It's not fair!"

"Yeah… Red says you should be grateful he doesn't eat you." Naruto conveyed, but loyally added, "But I think he might get indigestion."

"Why you little… Get over here! I got knuckle sandwich for ya! We'll see if that'll give you-"

Natsu chased Naruto in circles around, Makarov laughing all the while. They managed to keep stride with the old Mage while they ran. Makarov saw the training that went into conditioning like that and was mildly impressed by whoever their teacher was.

When they finally tired, Naruto yawned.

"Can I ride on your back Red? Please? I know you're not a bed… I will not! Oh come on!"

Makarov turned to the blonde haired boy to his left.

"We are almost there. It's a wonder I caught you so close. You are going to like your guildmates… they are an aquired taste… but like I said, you'll fit right in."

"I bet I can beat up every single one of em'!" Natsu declared. He punched the air for effect setting his fist on fire.

"So you're one of those, eh?" Makarov sighed.

"Yeah, we like fighting a lot. It's really really fun! One time dad…" Naruto explained and went off into a long winded story that only a kid like him could achieve.

They walked down the path, the shirtless boys became less and less guarded, and a goofy atmosphere took it's place. They asked Makarov about the guild, the people in it, and the world in general. Though Makarov in turn asked them many questions, they didn't answer as clearly. He eventually let them do all of the talking, hearing about funny moments and jumbled up occurrences.

"I can run really fast, I'll bet I could run faster than even Red!" Natsu boasted, when Makarov asked more about the fox.

' I am faster than the slug over there. He couldn't outrun a drunk Ninja.' Red thought to Naruto, and he laughed.

"Red said you couldn't outrun a drunk ninja!" The blonde reported, and laughed again.

Natsu thought about that for a moment, then laughed too, "That sounds funny! Drunk ninja, drunk drunk drunk."

Makarov shook his head and turned at the path that led them out of the wooded area.

Naruto liked it this way. It wasn't like before, even his childish awareness could understand that it wouldn't be. Not until they found Igneel.

They continued on, the boys saying 'drunk' then erupting into giggles, until they reached the town.

It was the strangest sight Naruto had ever see. Buildings and merchant carts lined the streets and each had a person trying to be louder than the person next to them. Shoppers were flagged down and some went to each by their own accord. What striked him as funny though was that not a single one of them was without clothes or shoes.

"Welcome to Magnolia." The old Guild master introduced, then resumed their pace.

"So many people!" Naruto awed. He dodged a man and women too involved in their debate to keep from running him over, but not too occupied to give the two a funny look.

"What's their problem?" Natsu growled, "I'd like to see them try that again!"

"Lets stop and get you something to wear, shall we?" Makarov suggested, trying to shepherd them out of the public eye.

"Why?" Natsu whined, "I don't want to."

"Everyone else is wearing them, so it must be ok." His little brother consoled.

"Oh crap I just remembered what Dad said to do!" Natsu whispered back, interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

"Don't spit into the wind?"

"No, he told us to introduce ourselves to new people. Naruto, these are new people!" Natsu rushed off to the nearest person, bowed, and said "Hello, I am Natsu Dragneel, pleased to meet you." Then he moved on to the next, repeating it. Naruto joined him, and they rushed through the crowd saying their names, but not waiting long enough to hear the other person's.

Meanwhile, Red ignored their antics, and focused his attention to his in-attention.

The people seemed to be unaware he was there, and looked right through him. He knew this world was weird, but he didn't think a fox the size of a horse was that common. There had to be an explanation.

If it hadn't been for the couple of encounters with the people in the woods, he would have refused to step near the city.

Red paused by a man selling watermelons. He lifted his paw and poked his shoulder.

"Yes? May I help- Well that's strange. I could have sworn someone poked me…" The man said, scratching his head. He shrugged and went back to his wares.

Red tilted his head and poked him again. This time, the man didn't turn around.

The kitsune saw this as a challenge.

"YES? Ok, one time I can forget, but three? Out with it, show yourself!"

"Hello, my name is Naruto Dragneel, pleased to-"

The man hit the boy upside the head and yelled at him. "Why didn't you show yourself sooner?"

"I'm sorry!" Naruto apologized, "I'm new to this being polite thing!"

"Next time, don't mess with me or I'll show you what's what!"

"I'm sorry!" Naruto bowed, then returned to Makarov.

"Here we are, you two were awfully quiet." He observed, turning around.

The two were out of breath and panting.

Makarov shrugged and opened the shop door.

"Red can't fit through there," Naruto protested.

"Tell 'Red' to wait outside then." Makarov impatiently replied.

"He doesn't want to. He wants me to stick by him."

"Naruto, I am your Guild Master. Why would I show you my hometown, buy you clothes, and take the time to walk with you if I wanted to bring you harm?"

"I think he's right." Naruto shrugged at the fox, then entered the small shop.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! You came to the right place, please tell me if you need any help." A cheery man beamed at them from behind his desk.

It was a small but bright place. Cloths over stocked the walls and shelves, various accessories were on display and shoes had an area to themselves.

"Wow! How did you get all this?" Natsu awed, making his way to the first shelf.

"We get imports, random travelers, and various locals who trade with us. See anything you fancy?" The shop keeper made his way out from behind his desk and stood next to the enthusiastic shopper.

Natsu nodded and pointed to a specific outfit.

While Natsu roamed about the store with the shopkeeper, Naruto looked around unimpressed. To appease Makarov however, he fingered through a rack.

"Check me out!" The eldest Dragon Slayer called after a while.

He'd chosen a red overcoat with a yellow belt and tan pants. His scarf was ever present around his neck.

"Uh-hu." Naruto sighed, and continued to look through the items. "This is boring."

"I'll help ya out, how about these?"

"That's the same as yours… Nah. I'll have to go with this." Naruto pulled out a black shirt with a circle of fire in the middle, and orange shorts.

"That's so plain. You need something spunky!" The Salesmen prodded.

"The boy gets what he wants," Makarov interjected, "And if that is what he wants, that is what he gets."

"Y-Yes sir. Alright, I'll check you out over here."

XXXX

"Wow! So this is the Guild?" Natsu and Naruto stood in front of the colorful guild hall. Their mouths were open and, like much else that day, the size of it amazed them. They grinned.

"Yup! This is Fairy Tail. Come on, lets introduce you to everyone." He led the way inside and through the crowd of people.

He stopped at a bar table and pulled out a weirdly shaped stamp.

"This is our guild mark, it shows people who's guild you belong to. Where do you want it?"

'Get it on your-'

"SH-Shut up Red!"

"I'll have it on my shoulder." Natsu finally decided, and stood still as Makarov did just that.

"It's red." Naruto commented.

"How about you?" The blonde stared at the stamp.

"Uh… Here." He pointed at his shoulder, following Natsu's example.

"That's that. Now, go introduce yourselves to your new Guildmates." Makarov nodded to Natsu and left them to their own devices.

"How come mine's not red?" The blonde boy whined. "It's orange..."

"Hey, what about foolish Red? Does he get one too?" Natsu asked, then rubbed his head when the fox smacked him with his clawed paw.

"Natsu?" Naruto asked, " What do we do now?"

His brother offered him a small smile, then stood up on the table and took his fighting position.

"Listen up! I'm Natsu Dragneel, who wants to fight me?" He yelled, causing the people in the room to stare with mild interest.

"Pipe down over there!"

Natsu swerved his attention to the boy who accepted the challenge. He was wearing no shirt and had blue spiky hair.

"You don't look that tough, I was hoping for a challenge, but I guess you'll do." The pyro remarked, and jumped down from the table and came nose to nose with the other boy.

"You're the one who's not going to be much of a challenge!" He retorted.

This made the Dragon Slayer's blood boil, and he threw the first punch. The shirtless one answered, but just as the fists were going to collide, a girl clad in armor held them in mid air.

"Cut it out, guild mates shouldn't fight each other." She scolded, "It is the enemy who waits in the shadows you should concern yourselvs with."

"Whatever…" The blue haired boy grumbled. He was wise.

"You don't scare me!" Natsu growled and ripped his hand out of her grasp. Squaring his shoulders, he faced her.

She didn't look that scary, he decided. She had long red hair pulled back in a bun. Her shiny armor looked tough, but he was sure he could burn through it.

"Oh?" She responded quietly. This made the other boy squirm, and he got out of the danger zone.

"Hi, I'm Naruto Dragneel."

The boy looked down and saw the little blonde looking up at him with interest.

"Gray Fullbuster." Gray responded. He was watching as Erza beat their new guildmate into submission and winced in sympathy.

"Can you see my friend, Red? Not a single person in this guild has looked at him…" He asked, and looked over his shoulder.

Gray did as he asked and followed his gaze to look at the wall.

"Sorry, kid. Only a wall."

"Well you weren't much help." Naruto pouted.

"Hey! Is that any way to thank someone?"

"For looking at a wall…? Yeah, much help you were."

"Learn some manners!" To emphasize his point, Gray hooked Naruto into a nuggie.

The young boy retained and jammed his elbow in the blue haired boy's stomach.

This resulted in an all out brawl between the four youngsters, Naruto keeping up and perhaps surpassing the other children.

Makarov watched them from upstairs, and smiled. Yes… They will fit in just fine.

XXXX

"This one! I want this job!" Natsu yelled triumphantly.

"Yeah? Lets go already… I'm getting bored." Naruto smiled with him.

"Do you even know what job you're picking out?" A young girl with white hair pulled back in a ponytail and a black fighting suit leaned against a near-by bench. She smiled smugly at the boys from 'team Erza'.

"Of course I do!" Natsu smiled, "the picture looks cool, and way better than the one with the flowers."

Lisanna, the scary one's younger sister stepped forward and took the mission from Natsu's hand and read it. "This is fighting some monster… Are you sure you could do that? All by yourselves?"

Naruto puffed out his chest and answered for his brother, "Of course we can! We're Dragon Slayers and not some wimpy kids. I could fry that old monster with one hand tied behind my back."

"Well… you should really start with easier missions, this monster is fire proof." Lisanna gently said. "This is the worst mission you could possibly pick out. Did you even read it?"

"Well… ahhhh. no?" Naruto answered, caught off guard by the question.

"Igneel taught me all kinds of stuff… He taught me the names of food, and how to fight… I know them! Ramen, pork,... I do! I know them!" Natsu shouted. "So what if I can't read? Igneel didn't have… time."

"Natsu…" Naruto murmured.

"So that's a no then?" Erza gathered, stepping into the picture with the grace and finesse she usually demonstrated."Alright, I'll teach it to you. It will only take three days. But you will not eat nor sleep, and we will live and breath the alphabet. It will be difficult, but I promise I won't give up on you."

And with the two boys clawing and scratching to get away, Lisanna laughed a little and returned the mission to the board.

"You should have let them go on the job." Mira remarked, "It would have been funny to see them ground to dust."

"I think they will be anyway." Lisanna answered with a weak laugh.

XXXX

"When I get older, I'm going to go on a job all by myself." Naruto announced.

He had just returned from a mission with Natsu and was sitting at a table with Erza. She had called him over to make sure he remembered how to spell, but ended up hearing about everything else.

"Yeah, everyone always treats me like I'm a little kid. Always laughing at me and rubbing my head. If I went on a real job all by myself, then they would treat me like I'm older, right?" He figured.

The scarlet haired girl shook her head in amusement, "Why is being treated older so important?"

Naruto thought about that.

"Well…" He started. Erza prepared herself for another long winded story, but when Naruto spoke, it was about something she didn't expect "Dad got to teach Natsu more stuff. He was always better than me at magic and whenever we fought he would always win. Dad said things in a way I never got, but when Red explained it it made sense.

"Red's cool, but he's here now and Dad...I guess I want to get it like Natsu did." He sighed and looked out the window.

Erza gave Naruto an odd look. She got it.

He wanted to have longer with his father, and being older would mean he would have had that.

She stood up and walked to the other side of their little table. She gave the boy a gentle smile and pulled him into a hug.

His head banged against her armor loudly, but he closed his eyes. He leaned into her shoulder and she put her head on top of his in a sisterly way.

Natsu walked over to them curiously, but was unable to ask a question before Erza pulled him into her embrace as well.

"Hey!" He protested, but was soon released along with Naruto.

"What was that all about?" He shouted.

"Nothin'." Naruto answered, his head turned away to hide his tears. He quickly wiped them away before turning to Natsu. "Well, are we going to spend that food money or what? I'm starving!" And with that, he turned to the bar.

Natsu watched his brother for a moment before looking at Erza, who was smiling at the blonde.

"What was that all about?" He repeated, getting suspicious and crossing his arms.

"Nothing." Erza said, and walked over to where Gray was and handed him his clothes with a pointed look.

Natsu felt like he was missing something, but Naruto's calls for food distracted him and he went over.

XXXX

The steel train screeched to halt. It's passengers looked relieved to escape the now hot and uncomfortable train car, but one passenger in particular was ready to kiss the ground in joy.

"Natsu! Come on, we made it to Horgion! Snap out of it already," A high pitch voiced mewled into his ear. Natsu looked from his spot on the wooden floor at the blue cat with a green backpack when a fresh wave of nausea hit him and the ground was suddenly his best friend.

"Um… is your friend alright?" A conductor asked.

Happy was ready to respond, when someone interrupted.

"I got him."

Natsu groaned on the inside. He felt hands roughly pick him up and sling his arm over their shoulder. The pink haired boy let the person lead them out of the train and dump him on the pavement.

"I'm never riding a train again." He groaned and rolled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his head.

"That's what you say every time. Careful or you might start doing it, fool." A familiar voice answered.

Natsu looked up in surprise. There, standing in front of him, was his brother Naruto Dragneel. He wore a casual orange t-shirt and black pants. His thinner scarf was secured tightly around his neck, but Natsu decided it clashed with the outfit horribly.

"That- what are you budding in for?"

"You should be thanking him! If he hadn't come along, you might have been sent on the train again. Then what would you do, fool?" Happy, the blue cat, scolded.

"Don't you start callin' me that too." Natsu warned, glaring at him.

Naruto laughed and gave the blue cat a high five, then dodged Natsu's half- hearted punch. "Geeze, I just wanted to go on a job with my big bro. Please let me come? I won't bud in! Nope, you can do everything." The blonde promised.

Natsu sighed and stood up on shaky legs. He brushed dirt off his knees and looked down at Naruto. There was still a height difference, Natsu being older and taller, but in power they were both dangerous.

Natsu sighed, then let out a little smile. "Of course you can tag along. You didn't have to hide on the train, but I will hold you to your promise this time. You don't fight, I do." He felt Happy land on his head.

Naruto smiled back, "Yeah, I got cha. So, what's the job?"

Natsu's smile faded away, "We caught a rumor that there was someone by the name of Salamander here. Happy and I figured it might be him."

Naruto's relaxed expression turned into the reason Natsu had b him in the first place. His younger brother looked… hopeful. He watched as a small smile turned into an excited grin, but it was contagious because soon Natsu was smiling too. Even though he knew he might not be here, he hoped beyond hope that he might be. And that was something to smile about.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto shouted, jumping into action.

"Alright then. Let's go!"" Natsu gave the command, and took off at a run.

"Aye!" Happy responded, and the three made their way into the bustling town.

XXXX

In the town's busy streets and weaving people, a blonde girl in pigtails and a blue skirt fumes and mopes. She has an unreadable expression, but her arms and head sag in utter disbelief as she makes her way down the stone streets.

"He only took off 1000 jewels. So much for my feminine wiles." She sighed sadly.

Suddenly, she heard the cheering of a crowd of girls. Normally this wouldn't phase her, but for some reason she was drawn to the sound. Perking up she looked toward the source and just as she did, heard the cry of 'Salamander!' followed by more giggling and cheering. They seemed to be having fun… wait… "SALAMANDER? As in the mage who can use fire magic that you can't even buy in stores?" She cried in joy, and raced to the scene, practically knocking people over and out of her way.

When she reached the crowd, she saw the center of attention and froze.

Knocking people over was worth it. Uh… rude?

Getting her new shirt dirty was worth it. It's a new skirt and now we're broke are you SERIOUS?

He was gorgeous!... True…

She watched him hypnotically, a look of bewilderment that mirrored her feelings perfectly. How could anyone look that way and not be a God? Why is my heart beating so fast?

She walked forward in a daze. She needed to get closer to this man. Step by step she did, but before she could speak to him, someone barreled her over.

XXXX

"Ohhh… I can't believe we rode a train…" Two dragon slayers groaned. They held their stomachs and waddled down an alleyway, Happy waddling net to them.

"I think it's weird that you're just feeling it now, Naruto." The blue cat commented.

"I always get sick after… " He weakly responded, his face turning green.

"And we don't even have food to make me feel better." Natsu grumbled. He still felt queasy, but not as bad as Naruto apparently did.

"Yeah, we don't have any money." Happy agreed, shrugging his little cat shoulders.

"What is the name of- ugh- are we looking for.. ugh.. again?" The young blonde groaned.

"There's supposedly a Salamander here, and what other Salamander could there be but a Dragon?" Happy informed.

"Yeah, you think it's Igneel though?" Natsu's face lit up with hope as he asked the little blue cat. He couldn't help it, no matter how many times he looked or how often he was disappointed, it didn't leave him.

"He's the only fire Dragon I've heard about." Happy said simply.

Naruto stood straighter, sickness forgotten and stared at the end of the alleyway in front of them. His usual care free attitude shifted slightly, but Natsu noticed instantly. He saw the younger boy's eyes turn to a look of determination and hope.

"Stop looking so serious." Natsu said, pulling Naruto into a groggy headlock.

"Hey!" He shouted in surprise and was momentarily paralyzed.

"If it is Dad, then he will see us without a grumpy look on our face, understand?" The pink haired boy emphasized his point by driving his knuckles into his brother's skull and laughed evilly.

"Stop it! Hey… Natsu no fair! I-I wasn't ready! Ouch!" Naruto complained and broke free, rubbing his head and giving Natsu a reproachful glare. But, however pissed he tried to look, he was also smiling.

"Be happy, OK?" Natsu ordered with a final huff in his younger brother's direction before continuing on.

"I'm so happy that's what they call me!" His 'little buddy' chipped in, pointing a paw at him self and stars in his eyes.

Naruto allowed a small smile to cross his face, and not because he feared another noogie. He got what Natsu was telling him without voicing the actual message.

"Yeah… OK." Naruto complied and caught up to him to punch them both on the shoulder.

Natsu shoved him back and the three made their way to the crowd of girls at the end of the alleyway.

Natsu leaned over to tell Happy something, when a cry of "Salamander!" Interrupted him.

Naruto gave Natsu a 'give the command' look, but Natsu couldn't be bothered because he was already running the rest of the way into the crowd, Happy on his heels.

He looked wildly around, but it didn't take long to figure out that a big reptilian Dragon wasn't hiding anywhere.

"Hey," A man with slick black hair and purple cape smoothly said.

Natsu looked up at the man with a ' who the hell are you' attitude. Naruto voiced his thoughts like he could read them.

"Who the heck are you?" Naruto demanded. He stood quite a bit shorter than the man, but still tall enough to be recognized as a threat (Or so he thought).

To the brothers and cat, this was a totally qualified question and the situation demanded it, but they had to rethink years of the same logic when the mob of angry girls attacked them.

"How dare you!"

"Yeah, don't speak to the great Salamander in that way!"

They screeched as they tore at the boy's clothes and arms. They were paralyzed in shock, but also because they sensed something else happening behind their awareness. Something was making the girls act this way beyond their control.

"Girls, girls, relax." 'Salamander' cooed. The girls dispersed like puppies finding a new toy. They crowded around the man once more and he smiled at them. He walked over to Natsu and gave him an autograph.

"Ugh...no thanks." Natsu said, lip raised in disgust as he saw the paper.

"We don't want that!" Naruto protested getting off the ground and finding his feet."We want information, dummy. Don't be a prick!" He yelled and turned his full attention at the black haired man, who blinked a few times in surprise. Was he just… Denied?

Fire started to burn in the girls' eyes, but they restrained themselves, conscious that their precious Salamander was watching.

"Listen, I don't give a damn who you are. Just tell me if you've seen a Dragon by the name of-" He shouted, but was interrupted by the outraged cry of the females. Naruto gathered he hadn't been speaking to Salamander in the correct tone again.

"What did you do?" Natsu whispered.

"Ahh man." Naruto gulped. The growling (Growling?!) girls slowly marched toward him, each stomp promising a world of hurt. Their eyes were shadowed menacingly. There were few things that the blonde feared but angry girls was definitely one of them.

"You might have taken it too far!" Happy screamed, now fearing for Naruto's well-being.

"Remember me in the afterlife." Naruto whispered back, before the wave hit him and he was sent screaming away.

"He was so young! I I'll never forget him.." Happy mumbled with tearful eyes.

Natsu jumped to his feet "Naruto!" He shouted in concern, fully intending on charging after him, when he remembered the prick who called himself Salamander.

I'm going to have a chat with the knucklehead about when to and when not to tick off a pack of girls'. Natsu thought, making a mental note on the subject.

"Girls, wait! Dammit! What's your problem?" 'Salamander' demanded, rounding on the pink haired boy. He was irked now… this whole situation was turned on its backside.

"Look pal, I'm not completely sure what that was all about… but where's Igneel?" Natsu demanded, looking dangerously close to blowing up.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but now I have to track every single one of those girls down to invite them to my party… and no… you're not invited." He said, hoping to somehow hurt this boy for interrupting his plans.

"Never wanted to go. " Natsu whispered to himself. "Alright then."

"Wait!" A new voice called.

"Yes?" The black haired man said expectantly, losing his furious tone and demeanor.

Natsu paid them no mind and started to go in the direction Naruto disappeared in, making sure Happy was securely on his head-

"Not you, creep!" A female voice shouted in disgust.

Natsu looked behind him. Just who was this girl talking to then?

"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out with that jerk." A blonde in a blue skirt and pigtails smiled at him.

Meanwhile.. with Naruto…

"Crap!" Naruto screamed, leading a billowing pack of angry females behind him. "Why me?!"

A marketplace flew past him in a blur, people dodging the group or getting trampled in it. They tore through stands, leaving nothing but scrap and carnage in their wake. He couldn't help but feel like this whole scene would make good song lyrics.

This thought made him cringe a little as he ducked under another innocent pedestrian.

"Get back here non- believer!" An enraged girl shouted.

"Get over him you ditz, or I'll forget my promise to not bud in!" The blonde yelled back, realizing too late that smack-talking didn't help his predicament and it only made their resolve to tear him apart stronger.

He was running faster than a normal human could, thanks to his conditioning and constant fighting, and it was the only thing keeping him out of the hormone powered monster's clutches.

Even so, as minutes (That felt like hours) dragged on, the girls inched closer and closer, when an opportunity presented itself. A four-way intersection was just up ahead of him. Naruto could barely make out the blurs of magic vehicles as they zoomed and stopped… but he saw this transportation as salvation (for once!).

Taking a deep breath he stopped and faced the onslaught right in front of the busy street. He did his best to look mysterious, but expectant was probably what he pulled off.

They, out of surprise or new-found respect, came to a hurried halt just a little ways from him.

"Give up?" One taunted. She looked, to him, not much older than himself. She smirked, he was cornered.

"N-N-Never!" He stuttered, and leaned backwards into the way of oncoming traffic.

There were some shouts of alarm and cries of victory he left behind, but those soon became the least of his worries as he rolled out of the way as a carriage wheel nearly decapitated him. Dust and small projectiles blasted his face as the never ending stream of people and wheels streaked by. People kicked his head, earning a "Ouch" and half-way glare.

He coughed and wiping his eyes, made his way under a wooden buggy.

He grabbed under just as it was about to pass and felt his clothes drag on the cobblestone road, grazing his back. He felt his arm muscles tense and burn in protest, but he held on. Making another mental note to do more hanging upside down training in case he needed another escape like this one. Though… he thought it best to never mess with an angry mob of girls again.

"Lesson… learned." He grumbled to himself.

After a few more strenuous minutes, he let go and rolled out from under the buggy and onto the safely of the sidewalk.

He rolled onto his back and put an arm over his eyes, trying to get his relieved breathing under control.

"Kid, you doing alright?" A man in a top hat and brown suit inquired, in a concerned citizen kind of way. The way a complete stranger would call down the medics, but refrain from dirtying their own hands kind of concern.

Naruto waved him away with a small thumbs up, but stayed on the ground while the world kept spinning.

The man, being sufficiently convinced, went on his merry way.

After the moment of motion sickness passed, he moved to a sitting position. He was dirty, he was bruised, and now had angry-girl-a-phobia. He was waiting for the rain cloud.

"There you are!" Naruto's head shot around to look at his brother and Happy coming toward him, looking relieved. Or, to be more precise the bag of food was coming toward him and he forgot all about his little escapade and the world was suddenly OK.

"You know how much I admire you big bro?" Naruto said around his mouthful of noodles.

They were walking on a high mountain road just out of town that overlooked the harbor. A lone ship was sailing out that night, partying away.

"Sure, say that now." Happy remarked, glancing sideways at him.

Naruto continued to slurp his meal happily.

"Igneel isn't here." Natsu said conversationally.

"Nope, guess we'll just have to look somewhere else." Happy agreed with a shrug of his tiny shoulders.

Naruto shrugged as well. "Mef wevll weal." He grumbled.

Happy knew they were fine, well as fine as someone who can't find their Dad can be, but he still could feel the disappointment they weren't showing.

The almost unnoticeable sighs, sagging shoulders, and invisible frowns.

He watched the boys give each other a sideways glance.

They made eye contact for a brief moment then looked away.

"The girl, Lucy, paid for your meal. She wanted to thank us for knocking her out of that guy's charm spell." Natsu said, trying to change the subject.

"I knew there was something fishy about that guy!" Naruto face-palmed himself. "Loke doesn't even have that big a fan base."

Happy heard the word 'fish' and suddenly felt betrayed. "You saw f-fish and didn't tell me? What kind of a guy are you?" He had tears in his eyes, making him look more pathetic.

"Hold on-So you got to eat and I was chased into next week?! Big brother are you..."

"Why didn't you just beat up all those girls?" Natsu said suspiciously, "You could have easily taken them… "

"I would never miss the chance to be chased by fan girls." He defended himself with a smirk.

"They weren't fan girls. Besides, the only girls that would talk to you are mad ones, you peeping tom." Happy explained.

"Watch it, fur ball!"

"But still, we weren't even trying to save her." Natsu said thoughtfully, talking about Lucy.

"Well it's not like you asked her for the food. She offered… Although... Anyone who gives me Ramen deserves something." Naruto agreed, nodding determinedly.

"You owe me fish." Happy suggested.

"Wh- well I owe you nothing." Naruto growled, "It was a figure of speech!"

"Sure, now you change your story." The cat pouted.

They fell silent as a group of girls passed, when they caught a snippet of the lady's conversation.

"...Salamander of Fairy Tail! How hot is that?" One of them awed.

"Yeah, too bad we missed the party. He invited me himself! What a guy!" The other answered before they were out of earshot.

"Fairy Tail?" Natsu says doubtfully, looking back out to the boat leaving harbor.

"I've never seen him before, and you're the only…" A smile stretched across Naruto's face as he realized that the guy was mimicking Natsu. The smile evolved into a laugh until he doubled over.

Natsu was too preoccupied with his own thoughts; trying to make sense out of the situation. I don't recognize this 'Salamander'. Could he be a new member? Well… no 'cause I'm Salamander of Fairy Tail… This is stupid! I'll just have to ask the guy myself.

"I'm going to go pay this 'Salamander' a visit." He finally decided, giving Happy a pointed look.

"Aye Sir!" The cat happily chirped.

Naruto was catching his breath, "Can I, hahaha, come? This is too funny!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "We're going on the boat."

The blonde suddenly paled. "Nah… I'll stay here."

And without further delay, Happy sprouted white feathery wings and grabbed Natsu by the shoulders. He lifted him into the air and they were off, speeding toward the boat.

Naruto watched as they got smaller and smaller, slightly jealous and mostly relieved he wasn't going on -gulp- transportation. Besides, him telling Natsu what he figured out would only enrage him.

If anything, Naruto knew his brother.

They had been together all their lives, though they didn't spend every waking moment with each other, Natsu was Naruto's anchor. Even with all the craziness that happened to them, Natsu gave him hope when he had none. No matter what happened, even if for some reason there was no more Fairy Tail, they wouldn't stop watching out for the other. Naruto smiled at that thought.

"Was that a flying cat?" Someone said behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and blushed. A girl with dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail walked up to him. She wore a too tight shirt, short shorts and sandals. She looked to be a little older than Naruto, but at his age, every girl looked older than him.

"Uh... Yeah." Was all he could say before he messed with his hair, trying to casually straighten it.

Her blue eyes widened and she looked in the direction Natsu and Happy disappeared.

"Wow, that must mean that that was Natsu of Fairy Tail flying away." She said thoughtfully.

Naruto sighed, "You must not be from around here; These people fell for a poser."

"Don't give me that much credit," she said sheepishly, "I just read Sorcerer Weekly. I like hearing about Salamander, Titania, Laxus and all those guys. They are from the number one Guild you know, way better than Phantom Lord. They are destructive, but Fairy Tail is the best!"

Naruto nodded, "You got that right." He said then looked back at the ship.

"Oh!" She shouted in surprise. The girl grabbed his arm.

Naruto looked back at her, startled. "What?"

"Your shoulder! You're a member of Fairy Tail! I'm so sorry, you must know all about them and let me ramble! What's your name?" She asked, now it was her turn to blush. She let go and leaned against the rail next to him.

'Na-"

"Wait, don't tell me! I'm sure I know you. Alright," she thought out loud, her finger poking her lip in concentration. "Let's see... Lines running on your cheeks... Three on each... Birthmark or recent injury?"

"I've had them for as long as I can remember." .

"Okay, blonde hair white scarf... Running around with Salamander... I think I know ... don't tell me." She took a step back, her eyes wide in realization. "I'm so so sorry... I never thought I would ever meet you! You're-"

"Really, it's fine." Naruto tried, but she just turned a darker shade of red.

"You're Fairy Tail's Firefly! Oh, my friends will never believe it! I spoke to THE Firefly!" She danced a little in place.

Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, that's what they call me." He kept his cool on the outside, but inside he was excited that she recognized him and didn't ask about his age. Score!

"I have so many questions!" She squealed. "What is your favorite color? When is your birthday? Favorite food?"

Naruto thought a moment, "Orange, I don't really know, and Ramen."

"I think Orange is mine now too." She announced, stars in her eyes.

"You know, a Guild is more than a publicity story." Naruto said quietly, "It's kind of like a family. I'm proud you know of me, and that you like Fairy Tail, but that's not what we're about."

"What do you mean?" She asked, equally as quiet.

An explosion erupted in the harbor. The shock made the ground under them quake, successfully interrupting the two. The metal ship looked like a toy being carried by a monster wave into town. Shouts and screams of surprise erupted from the townsfolk as they scrambled to get away from the oncoming water.

Naruto smirked, "That's Natsu's work. Gramps always chews us out for how we handle a job, but I think it makes it fun." He giggled.

The brunet continued to watch in awed silence, before smiling broadly. "This is so cool! Fairy Tail destruction in real life. I could die happy!"

The boy smiled at her before admiring the havoc his brother was raving. His use of fire was something to be studied by the younger pyro.

"Why aren't you down there? Couldn't the real Salamander use the help of an S class wizard?"

Naruto shrugged, a pout crossing his face. "He didn't want me butting in. I guess I take things to the extreme... I have to go. Natsu will want to head out before the authorities are called in. Be seeing you around!" He called, with a wave behind his head as he raced down the slope. She tried to call him back, but he decided to give her a little show for a true fan of his.

Taking a deep breath, he let out a jet of blue flame beneath him and used the kickback from the attack to propel him in an arch across the sky.

He could almost hear the cry of delight from his fan-girl, and grinned to himself. It's not like he expected to be greeted by strangers like that, but when it happened, he was giddy for the next week.

XXXX

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and started to bolt out of town. He really did it this time, if Gramps got wind of this… Houses burning, harbor flooded, people mad… not to mention the broken boat.

He shuddered, boy would he be in trouble.

"Where are we going?" His female passenger shouted.

He smiled at her over his shoulder, "You wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?"

Her alarm melted away to joy and she nodded.

His smile got wider, he was beginning to really like this one. "Then let's go!"

"Aye sir!" Happy chimed in.

They headed to the road out of town, where a certain blonde was waiting for them.

"Hey what's going on?" Naruto asked, but didn't get a chance to say anymore before Natsu grabbed him as well, dragging him over the dirt road.

"Run now. Questions later!" He responded, panicked.

"Aye sir," Naruto grumbled, and let himself be pulled to who knows where. If it was anyone but his big brother...

"Who are you!?"

There's chapter 1! Didn't see many of these Naruto is Natsu's brother stories and the ones I did see weren't finished. So, I decided to write one myself! This is actually my second upload because I put the wrong copy up the first time (Kicks self) Sorry if you were expecting Chapter 2! This is my first story (As you can see), so reviews would be useful!

Next time:

Natsu and the gang make it back to Fairy Tail, but Lucy didn't expect This! Also, where did Red go? Wasn't he supposed to keep an eye on the Dragneels? And who was the girl Naruto spoke with? Find out in the next installment of Naruto Dragneel.

-CGorilla


	2. The Encounter

A trip later

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy introduced, pointing to his guild like it was a prize. To Lucy, that wasn't even close to what she saw it as. It was a dream come true and she could hardly wait!

The castle like guild was intimidating to all but its inhabitants with its pillars and stone walls. The banner hanging from its top was a mark that everyone took with them, reminding them of this safe haven.

Lucy excitedly reached for the door, but Natsu beat her to it, kicking it open and yelling "We made it back alive!"

"Hey everyone!" Happy greeted, flying in behind Natsu. His wings were out and he flapped excitedly inside as shouts of welcome and greetings echoed back.

Naruto walked in next, letting out a sigh of relief. He was home.

Lucy gave the other blonde a sideways glance. He hadn't said much on the journey here, letting his brother do all the talking. He looked familiar...

"Hey Natsu, heard about the damage you caused in Hargeon Town-" The guild member was interrupted by said Dragon Slayer kicking him off his chair and onto the floor with a crash.

"The Salamander we found was a fake! Why'd you lie to me like that?" He angrily growled.

"That's not my problem! I was just passing along a rumor." The man shouted back, standing up to confront the enraged Natsu.

"A rumor! You sent us on a train for a rumor!"

"Hey, I don't think he meant-" Happy tried the chastise, but was thrown across a table like a pinball knocking over drinks.

"Wanna fight?"

"Show him what's what Natsu!" Naruto cheered, and left his brother to go say hi to other guild members.

The older Dragon slayer seemed to ignore his brother and charge at the unfortunate man.

Then all chaos broke loose, the previously subdued atmosphere turned into an all out brawl. Chairs were thrown, tables turned, and guild members tearing at each other.

The young Dragon slayer wanted to get in on the action to, but he had other matters to attend to besides getting an ear yanked from gramps. So, as and good spectator, he cheered.

"So you're back. Fight me Natsu! Let's settle things once and for all!" Gray challenged. Clouds of debris hid most of the action, save a few choice punches and power moves from a few of the wizards.

"You stripped again." Cana pointed out to the half naked Gray. It was true, the dark headed boy was in nothing but his boxers.

"I don't have time for that!" He shouted back, then continued his advance on the pink haired slayer.

"This is why I don't date any of the guys around here, they're all idiots!" She complained, then proceeded to down a whole barrel of sake.

Lucy took a moment to process what she was seeing. Her mind worked out that everyone was insane. She suddenly felt like gathering funds for all the straight jackets the mental house would need.

She voiced her thoughts when Mirajane walked up behind her. "Are you new here?" She asked in a sweet voice.

"You're Mira! Wow it's so nice to meet you! You're all over the Sorcerer Weekly." Lucy shouted, her excitement renewed. "Shouldn't we do something about..?" She gestured to the havoc.

"They're always like this around here, I'd just leave it alone. And besides-" but before she could finish her explanation, she was barreled over by a large man and squashed under him like a white haired rag doll. "it's kinda fun, don't ya think?" She insisted, before falling unconscious.

"Don't die Mira!" Lucy panicked.

"Give those back!"

Natsu ran past the celestial Mage laughing, holding Grey's underpants above his head like a flag the Ice Mage followed close behind, more annoyed than embarrassed by his current nude state.

Lucy blushed and screamed at the sight of him. She was about to walk away when he turned to her "Excuse me miss, can I borrow your underpants?" He inquired.

Lucy was mortified. She grabbed the closest thing to her and prepared to swing it, but a head appeared in her line of fire, so she halted.

"I got you." Naruto appeared, unsuccessfully hiding the shorts he handed the blue haired teen.

"Thanks, Knucklehead." Grey mumbled, before putting them on and resuming his charge on his rival.

"Hey! I thought you were on my side!" Natsu protested, punching Naruto out of the picture and confronting the now (slightly) covered Gray. "What gives? Are you turning my own Brother against me, Stripper?!"

"My question would be more along the lines of why he had spare shorts with him." A member of the guild remarked, before he was tackled by a revived Elfman.

"Naruto, you never told me you had a stripping problem too!" Happy accused, swerving to avoid a chair.

Naruto didn't bother getting off the ground, his head holding a round bulge where his older brother hit him."This is what I get for trying to be helpful. Perhaps I should just burn the place down." He mused, and crossed his arms in a pouting/pondering gesture.

Lucy grabbed the downed Naruto and held him in front of her like a shield. "You are all crazy!" She shouted, and dragged him away as Natsu and Gray started a shouting match with Happy cheering them on.

"You wanted to be a part of it, right?" Naruto reminded her. He was used to being pushed around, and he mostly let them, but being a shield was new. He didn't want to make her feel unwanted by abandoning her though; besides, with his recent encounters, angering a woman gave him goose bumps.

"Nobody warned me about this!" Lucy screeched in his ear.

Naruto smiled at that, but noticed a change in the atmosphere immediately. There were no longer goofy smiles and half hearted attacks between Natsu and Grey. It was now to a point where things would get real serious, real fast. It seemed that all the groups were adopting this mood as well, which just made him want in on it even more! He made due by punching the air.

Lucy, on the other hand, didn't notice the shift and continued to cower behind the shorter boy, shrieking to him about things he already knew about his 'crazy' friends.

When she finally let go of him and screamed at Mira to get up, the moment he felt coming arrived.

Cana stood up and brought out one of her power cards. "Cut it out already." She threatened and the card glowed green.

"Oh yeah, Says who?" Grey answered in a cool voice. The room's temp dropped a few degrees.

Loke, a dirty blonde lady killer, chuckled. "You guys are so annoying," He muttered

"I'm fired up now," Natsu chuckled and brought it back to room temperature.

The white haired beast of a man, Elfman, bellowed his own challenge and layered his arm in a grey rock, giving him a beast-like look.

"Finally, things get interesting!" Naruto exclaimed, and stretched his arms, warming up.

"Aye!" Happy chirped.

The dam was going to break and the floods of a serious brawl were going to flood the hall, when another made himself known. Before anyone made their move, a shadow loomed over them like a dark cloud.

"Will you fools stop bickering like children?!" A deep voice growled.

"He's huge!" Lucy squeaked.

Water broke, but it wasn't a dam.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still here, master." Mira welcomed cheerfully.

Lucy gawked "That's the master!"

Everyone scattered under the giant's gaze. He was shadowed and only his outline could be distinguished, but from what Lucy could tell, he was massive and powerful.

Natsu's laughter broke the silence. "Man, you guys are a bunch of babies!" He alone stood before the guild master, supposedly in victory. "Looks like I won-" His gloating was stopped by a huge foot coming down on him.

Naruto whined from the side lines and Lucy looked over at him. _It must be hard for him to see his brother defeated so easily. _She fleetingly thought. What Lucy saw next disproved this theory, however.

Naruto was struggling to get out of Gray's hold around him, whining "I want a turn to fight Gramps!"

"He'll squash you like a bug! Shut up about it." Grey growled back and tightened his hold.

"Does a death wish run in their family?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Only in Fairy Tail." Cana answered.

The shadow looked away from Natsu and settled on Lucy.

"Looks like we have a new recruit." He growled. Wind picked up in the hot/cold room and the shadow threw his head back. The shadowed giant came at Lucy and she could feel her end nearing.

She closed her eyes tight and waited for death, but it never came.

She sneaked a peak and gasped in surprise.

Makarov, the grey haired and mustached guild master waved a greeting, "Nice to meet ya." He said pleasantly, like just a few moment ago didn't happen. He was wearing a funny hat that made his giant form look like it had horns.

"He's tiny!" She said dumbstruck. "He's really in charge here?"

Mira walked up to her side with an amused smile,"Of course he is. Allow me to introduce our Guild master, Makarov."

Said master nodded at Lucy before turning around and leaping an incredible distance into the air and onto the second floor balcony. He looked down with a parental stare that made everyone in the room squirm.

Naruto yawned, startling the quiet room. He received questioning glances from the people closest to him, but they dared not move.

"Hey, Gramps! This isn't as fun as fighting..." The bold blonde complained. Gray let him go.

Makarov narrowed his eyes and a scowl formed, "And I'll bet fighting is nearly as fun as breaking EVERYTHING! Look at this!" He held up a stack of papers with official looking stamps and lettering. "This is a lot of paperwork! The magic council has sent me complaints about property damages and replacement request. Some even had houses leveled and burned to the ground!"

"What cha lookin at me for!" Natsu protested as all eyes fell on him.

"Natsu! Remember that time we burned the crazy Jackie's-" Naruto excitedly commented, before getting tackled by his brother in an attempt to shut him up.

"However," Makarov now had the full attention of his children. He paused in his speech only briefly to send Naruto flying out of his brother's tackle and through a window with the flick of his finger.

Lucy saw Naruto fly and was reminded that the short, goofy man was really the monster they saw earlier. She stiffened and weeped a little as the master continued his speech.

XXXX

Naruto landed on the street with a sounding smack. A normal boy's skull would have cracked open from the impact, but this one had a thick head. He peeled himself off the pavement slowly, still getting out of his stupor.

Gramps hit him all the time but he was always surprised by the old man's speed.

_For an old geezer he's fast. _Naruto mused as he dusted himself off. A cold wind blew against his arms as the fact he was outside hit him. People, he realized, weren't quite used to seeing a boy flying into the streets and standing up without a scratch.

They gaped at him, then ran away.

_That's weird... _He thought. He tilted his head in confusion and fixed his eyes on a small boy who looked back at him with wide eyes and a scream threatening to come out of his gaping mouth. His mother was knocked out of her own shock and she scooped the child up. With a final wary look Naruto's way, she took off running with the other pedestrians.

Concerned citizens, understandable. Confused? To be expected. _Terrified?_ Unnerving.

Naruto looked around him, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary... Just a regular street by the canal and cobblestone buildings.

He scratched his head and shrugged. With a final questioning glance the people's way, he turned back toward the guild.

He started walking.

*_tick tick tick*_

"Gramps is losing his edge, I'm only two blocks away." He mused out loud, "Normally, I'm halfway across town. But now I am within sight of the Guild."

A couple ran screaming from him.

"Then again it's not like he all out punched me. It was more of a flick." He demonstrated the action to a near by man, but he ran screaming. "Ok, what's your problem?"

Naruto rounded on the newest person to flee and grabbed them by their shirt. The small man squealed and resisted for a moment, but realized that it was of no use.

"Please don't eat me!" He squeaked.

Naruto was taken aback by this comment. "Do I look like a cannibal to you?" He demanded. He came within inches of the other man's face.

"Uh... N-n-o no."

"What are you so afraid of? Is there something on my face?" He said the last part to himself and reached up to feel his cheek, when scales met his touch.

Naruto burst out laughing and dropped the confused man.

"So you're n-n-ot not going to eat me?" He said incredulously, quickly getting to his feet.

The boy shook his head as his laughter died down. "I must look like a monster, sorry. I finally get it now. This is part of my magic and I thought I had better control over it."

Still uncertain, the short man studied Naruto more closely. He looked like a monster, with red earthy scales covering his body and a tail coming out his backside. His head alone, which resembled a Raptor's, would have sent him screaming. But as he looked closer he realized the arms were long and shaped like a human's, but the sharp claw like fingers made them look deadly. The clothes and white scarf that also remained on his body also told him that what this creature was telling him could be true.

"Who are you then?" He asked.

Naruto scratched the back of his head "They call me Firefly, but you can call me Naruto."

"Firefly eh? That sounds familiar... Anyway, thank you for not eating me. I will do my best to quell this uproar, but please get your magic under control!" And with a final glance the man wandered away.

Naruto looked around the deserted streets and felt sheepish. This has never happened to him before; he was usually in full control of his transformations. It was a part of his fighting style, one he had been perfecting for his whole life.

He hadn't done Armor of the Fire Dragon for a while._Not since..._ The rush of memories hit home like a cannonball. He didn't feel like facing anyone right now... He wouldn't do much good in this state anyway.

He ducked into a nearby alleyway, hoping to avoid any more screaming people and headed home slowly.

"Mira! Mira Jane!"

This knocked her out of her stupor. She blinked a few times as a short man stormed up to her, looking upset and shocked.

"There is a wizard terrorizing the streets! I swear... If I find out it's one of your Fairy Tail I will report it straight to the Magic Council." He puffed out his chest and waited for her response.

"I'm sorry, I don't think anyone from here would knowingly scare civilians. Would you mind describing him or her?" She smiled politely and listened to his description about a red monster, but she was really only half paying attention.

Most of her thoughts went out to Lucy and Natsu, who just set off to hunt down Macao.

She didn't like seeing Natsu like that, with a dark aura and angry demeanor.

Mira knew he had mixed feeling about Igneel, both he and Naruto did, that's why nobody asked them questions about it. She hoped they talked to each other though. With all they've lost-

"... Then he let the guy go. I can guarantee that the monster of a wizard was just out to scare people." The unnamed civilian ended his speech and put his hands on his hips.

Mira thought for a moment, _Red-Brown scales, claws, a tail... I only know one Mage that can do that. _She looked at the man with a new intensity. He had all of her focus now.

"Where was the last place you saw him?" She demanded.

"The alley by the market."

"Thank you. Now... About the magic council..."

She narrowed her eyes dangerously.

XXXX

"Naruto! Hey, you out here?" Gray called. He listened for a 'What?' Or an excited 'Hey Gray!' But he didn't hear anything. This worried him. Natsu and Naruto had great senses. They could hear an insult on the other side of town and come running, hearing their name shouldn't be that hard.

"Why are we even looking for him? The kid can take care of himself. He's S class." Elfman complained.

A group of people went screaming by them.

Gray and Elfman had been sent out by Mira to see if Naruto was Ok. 'Just a feeling' she had explained, but the cringing man in the corner had to have something to do with it Gray figured.

"Mira asked us to. Do you really need more than that?"

"Guess not." Elfman allowed. They walked on in silence, looking down streets and alleys. "Maybe the old man wanted to tell him his speech in person, since Naruto ditched."

"He was sent out a window." The blue haired teen pointed out. "Let's just find him."

"I still don't see why this is a big deal a real man would-" What he was about to say was interrupted by something darting from one street shadow to another.

Gray took his hands out of his pockets, clenching them into fists.

"That looked like-" Elfman asked.

"Gray? Elfman?" A gravelly voice croaked.

Naruto, scales and all, came out of the dark alleyway to their left. He looked frustrated, probably due to the screaming people who insisted on running away from him.

"There you are, we've been looking all over for you." Gray snapped, relaxing.

"Why?" He looked at them in mild surprise.

"Mira sent us. Why are you scaring everyone?" He demanded.

Naruto paled, "Is she mad?"

"Well... There was a cowering man in the corner." Elfman supplied.

The scaled boy cringed, "It's not my fault! Gramps is the one who threw me out!"

"That doesn't mean you had to scare people! They aren't used to creatures that look like you wandering around our town, Knucklehead!" Elfman chastised.

"Don't scold me I didn't change on purpose... And I can't make it stop. Master must have hit me harder than I thought." Naruto became serious, fixing his surprisingly blue human eyes with Gray's.

"I see." Gray mumbled, "We'll worry about the why later. Elfman, how do you stop your take over magic?"

"As simple as it sounds, I just will it to stop. Have you tried that?"

"It isn't exactly take over. Red…" He paused. "He said I used a different kind of Magic..."

"Dragon Slayer Magic, right?" Elfman crossed his bulky arms.

Naruto shook his reptilian head. "The way he said it back then makes me think he meant something else. I don't know what, though."

"Then how do we... fix you?" Gray asked. He was getting serious now as well.

"I know a way, but I'll have to get out of town."

Gray and Elfman nodded.

"Ok, I've got this part." The white haired man announced, then moved toward Naruto. He grabbed his tail and pulled him off his feet.

"What the heck, Man? I can walk by myself!" The Dragon Slayer kicked at the white haired man, but he held his firm grip on the boy's tail.

"Quite squirmin'! People are scared of a walking monster right? Well if they see a beaten one, they might just cheer me on!" Elfman grinned, "Might even give me a medal…"

"I didn't peg you for the publicity type." Gray observed as they began their trek out of town.

"He _is_ Mira's sister." Naruto added from the ground, accepting his humiliation.

"It's not like that!"

"Of course not." Gray snarkily said, earning a shove from the take- over mage.

"Can we hurry up? These scales are itchy!"

"Don't order us around, we're the ones helping you!" Grey knocked him over his head with a satisfying thump.

_Meanwhile_

_His world was always changing. Different smells, different sounds, changing faces._

_Sometimes he was a cat. What a small cat he was, so agile, so light. He could find people with ease... And pounce._

_Othertimes he was a beast. What a clever beast he could be. As stealthy as he was as a cat, as a beast none could find him. If he made no sound and crept up on his prey, they couldn't know he was there._

_Oh how he loved being a beast._

_Voices. He hears voices now. What is it they want? Is the beast to hunt? To watch?_

_He hated watching. To be so close to something and be unable to catch it. How he longed to sink his beast teeth into those around him..._

_The voices say it again. They want the cat._

Red looked up at his captors, a snarl threatening to break loose into a growl.

A man with white hair and sharp face smiled down at him, his pointed eyes showing nothing but contempt.

"You say this thing can't be seen?" He said doubtfully, "Looks like a kid magnet."

"Erigor, do you not believe me? Have I ever lied to you?" A silky voice responded.

Red couldn't see the other face, but he knew that voice. She was his true captor.

For years he had heard that voice, it ordered him completely. It dictated when he served and when he stopped. The white haired man could never guess it, but he wasn't being sold to him. On the contrary, he was to be the man _Erigor's _Executioner.

That was the only thing that kept him going. He was going to kill this man when he felt like it. Maybe after Erigor's plan, perhaps before.

Red, no, Beast would hunt tonight. And tomorrow.

Always hunting.

XXXX

"So, what do you think caused you to become… that?" Gray asked as Naruto led the way through trees and underbrush. They were just outside of Magnolia, but far enough away that the populace wasn't an issue.

"Don't know. I've always been able to do it… but usually I'm beating someone up. It comes in handy in a pinch, but IT'S ITCHY." Naruto answered. He scratched at his arms again, but couldn't scratch hard enough.

"What's your big idea to stop it?" The ice mage scoffed.

"I'm going to waste all of my magic power. To do that, I need to be in my clearing."

Gray raised an eyebrow, "Oh, I get it now. You want to stop the flow of energy from going to your Fire dragon Armor and if you don't have any it can't support it." He paused to ruffle Naruto's head scales. "I'm impressed, there's actually a brain between your ear holes."

Naruto nodded, thought about what Gray said, then pushed the older boy in retaliation.

"I'm not an idiot!"

Gray smirked back, then stopped.

"What?" Naruto said, surprised by Gray's sudden halt.

"I'm going to go and drag Elfman back to the guild and go out on a job. You've got this under control, right?"

The blonde boy paused. Gray saw a look on his face. Was it disappointment? But as soon as it appeared, it disappeared and he turned.

"It's about time you left, I told you I could handle it. See ya!" Naruto announced, then started walking again.

Gray sighed at the un mannered boy, "You're welcome!" He shouted, knowing that that was all the thanks he would get and turned back toward Magnolia. But... What was up with that?

Naruto made the last few minutes of hiking without trouble. He stepped out of a line of trees and into a grassy break. Rocks jutted out of random intervals in the medium sized space that Naruto and Red had used for target practice, before he was old enough to use people as targets that is...

Naruto sighed and sat down. He closed his eyes and tried once more to clear his mind like he normally did to stop his magic, but the scales, tail, and claws stubbornly remained.

"Alright then, Fire Dragon Roar!" He shouted, and jumped to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he spotted a rock a ways from him and let loose a brilliant jet of blue crackling fire that hit the intended spot with a crash.

He continued in that fashion for what felt like hours, blowing up rocks and trees. Eventually he got bored.

Might as well make the most out of his situation and actually train a bit.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist" Orange flames enveloped his fist and he rammed it into the ground.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Secret Art: Fire Dragon's Brilliant flame!" Nothing really happened with this one, he just wanted to see if he could do it. He still couldn't.

"Fire Make: Fire Sword!" He held out his hand as his blue flame swirled around in his palm and condensed, then expanded outward into the shape of a katana. With Red's help, he had combined what he gathered from Gray's Ice Make magic and his own.

It took a lot of concentration and a bit of time, but he had finally gotten the hang of it.

He dispelled the sword and stood panting, looking at his hands. That must have been enough to-

They were still covered in red- brown scales.

He looked at the sun to try and gauge how long he had been out there. It was almost sun set now and around morning when he started.

Damn his energy reserves.

Naruto growled, "Fire Make Dual Fire Sword!" He went to gather energy in both palms, when it backfired. It should have worked, but some creature must have been making too much noise because in that moment of distraction, the condensed spheres solidified and launched themselves into each other, making a mini explosion. The energy dispersed quickly, but it left a slightly singed Naruto behind and a mini crater.

"Aww, man." He coughed dirt out of his mouth, "Well… it was cool a least…"

He looked to the point of the disturbance, but nothing was there. He was about to shrug it off, climb out of his newly made hole, and continue his magic wasting when-

'_Knew it. Beast knew this one would be here. Triggered it Beast did… yes.' _ Naruto froze. The voice in his head, he wasn't imagining it, right?

It's laugh echoed in his mind and he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It disappeared just as quickly, but he felt a presence. '_... Beast knows this one. Why does he know a crocodile? Tough to bite, fun to catch!' _It laughed again, it was so loud it made his ears ring. It was hard to think straight...

Naruto felt something bud into his side, knocking him down. He grunted in surprise, but before he could get to his feet the being ran into him again, too fast for him so see clearly.

"Where are you?" Naruto yelled, looking around. If someone wanted a fight... He saw movement again. Wasting no time he sent a blast of blue fire to that spot, but it had already moved.

He went to stand, but was hit yet again. Deciding that hitting the ground usually hurt, he spun his arms under him to catch himself and slowed to a crouch.

'_It speaks? Animals don't speak...' _The attacks stopped and Naruto jumped to his feet and onto a rock. He scanned his crater filled area until he saw another flash of red- orange before being knocked over once more. He crashed into the muddy ground and the wind was knocked out of him, rolling to his side he attempted to get up, but he felt something pin his back down and press his nose into the dirt.

'_Beast knows now. This is no animal. This is a boy. Yes, this boy needs to get stronger… Beast must not kill this boy.' _The pressure vanished when Naruto heated up his body. If he couldn't see the creature, he would burn it when it attacked.

Footsteps came closer to Naruto and he felt something nudge his shoulder.

Naruto stayed still. There was another? Bring it.

It nudged his shoulder again and he used the opportunity to reach behind him and grab… a leg.

"Wha?" Natsu said, surprised he found himself being tugged to the ground. He had been directed here by Elfman, who for some reason had a medal. He had found that strange, but decided to not think much of it. But this was even stranger.

Naruto let out an "Oomf!" As his older brother landed on top of him.

"What was that for?" Natsu said, regaining his senses and digging his elbow into Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto pushed him off and jumped to his feet, looking around frantically. What Natsu saw next turned the strangeness factor up by a lot.

"Where are you?" Naruto bellowed. The laughter came back to his head, making him grunt, "What's so funny?" He hissed.

"Hey, are you ok?" Natsu asked, slowly getting to his own feet. He looked at the dirt covered blonde with mild concern.

Naruto turned to his brother, "Watch out, some kinda beast is here!" He stepped a few feet back until he covered the older and taller boy behind an outstretched arm.

"Beast? Where?" Natsu asked, looking around.

No one and nothing was there.

"Can't you hear it?" Naruto shouted, it was loud in his head. He narrowed his eyes, "It almost sounds like-"

"I don't hear anything." Natsu said slowly, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "There's no one-"

There, Naruto saw it. Another flash. "Look out!" He cried, and pushed Natsu out of the way. It went past him and for a moment, Naruto could have sworn he saw the outline of a wolf, when it disappeared in another flash.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted. Naruto had shoved him in the dirt! Again! If this was another one of his pranks... But when Natsu looked at his face expecting to see a goofy grin, he saw nothing but focus. Naruto was scanning the crater filled clearing with a furrowed brow and a grimace.

This was no joke.

"Stop hiding and face me!" Naruto growled and leaped to another flash. He wasn't avoiding it again, it was time to slow this thing down. His fist made contact with fur as boy and Beast rammed into each other.

The force was enough to crush a regular person, but Naruto was a Dragon Slayer and this was no ordinary creature.

In mid air, Beast couldn't run. It was something Naruto noted in the back of his mind. Somewhere beneath the shock that soured his thoughts.

"Impossible..." He whispered. Time seemed to slow and all his senses zoned in on a single point. A point of sleepless nights and tears and an overwhelming sense of betrayal.

It was Red. A rugged, bloodied, and demonic fox that was almost unrecognizable, but Naruto knew. Deep down he recognized him. Though Red's eyes were now glowing red with bloodlust and his teeth and claws tainted, he knew.

The impact broke the intense moment and the force sent the two flying in opposite directions. Naruto by Natsu and Red by the trees.

Before Naruto could regain his footing, a blast of sound assaulted his ears. As if Erza was digging her sharpest swords into his head and twisting them.

"Red!" He grunted, and forgot about looking strong. He could barely process anything but the screaming from this thing, but somehow he caught what the beast said.

'_Hehehe, Beast will see you again, boy…. No… Naruto Uzumaki. Yes, will see you again, Uzumaki' _.

"Uzumaki...? Gaah! Red! What are you-" Naruto fell to his knee, hands over his ears. Red was doing this. He was covering something... Some other voice was trying to shout to him... But it was coming out as a scream. A sound that enveloped his mind and made everything else fade into background.

All that he was was gone. Naruto was vaguely aware of falling to the ground, but it seemed unimportant. All that mattered was that screaming. How does he stop it?

Why was Red attacking him?

... What is Uzumaki?

All he could do was put his hands over his ears and wait.

Natsu didn't know what to do. One minute Naruto was screaming about a beast and shoving him everywhere then the next he looked to be in pain.

His brother… in pain. Now Natsu was really worried. He rushed to Naruto's side and tried to pull the younger's hands away from his ears… but to no avail. Blood seeped out from between the boy's clenched fingers.

"Naruto! What's wrong?" Natsu screamed, "Why are you bleeding? Dammit… Help! Somebody help!" Realizing that this was beyond his capabilities he scooped him up and rushed back toward town and his Guild. "Everything's going to be alright." He promised.

"Screaming… stop screaming Red." Naruto suddenly gasped, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Naruto, hang on." Natsu said, still running full force to town.

The glazed blue eyes looked at the pink haired boy for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I've go to… Find him. He was here, Natsu. He was here."

"Who? Come on, buddy. You're not making sense. No one was there but you."

The blonde shook his head weakly and struggled to get out of the vise grip. "Red. Red was there. He looked… looked…" But whatever he was going to say was lost as he lost consciousness.

XXXX

'_Books books books, flimsy little books. Better for kindling than anything else! Beast likes fire...' _The Beast hummed happily to himself as he ran circles around a library, looking from one end to the other. Why was the beast here of all places? He wasn't sent here by the women nor Egregor, so why was he here?

The fox paused his pacing. He studied the building closer. Perhaps the Cat would know why, yes…

The air fizzed as the Beast disappeared and a smaller creature took his place. It was a cat much like Happy. It's head was bigger than it's body and it's little arms and legs looked too small to touch it's ears.

It's orangish- red fur was matted and unkempt, but Red's face was definitely cat like.

"So, Beast, stumped are you?" He snickered, his tail lashed back and forth expectantly. "A book you say? Hmmm…" He let himself into the coliseum library.

"This place is nice… too nice. " He decided as he continued to look along the seemingly endless expanse of shelves lined with books. "I think Beast shall have to do something about this tidiness." He purred out loud.

When he said that, he felt the familiar tug at his consciousness that meant Beast wanted out.

"Not yet, not yet." He whispered. His relationship with Beast was simple: Beast did the grunt work and Red did the thinking. That was how they had operated for as long as he could remember. But this time was different. This was something Beast wanted... Something he thought he needed. While Red was puzzled by the change in behavior, he went with it. It was just how things were.

After a little more searching, he spotted the book. Grinning in victory, he pulled it off the bookshelf with his stubby arms and looked at the cover. Before he could read it, however, Beast could wait no longer. Dropping the book Red felt Beast's patience run out.

"Out. Beast.. Must! '_Come out.' _The short cat screamed, then felt the blast of pure energy that was inside of him. Doubling over he let the stronger force take control and succumbed to the after thoughts of his shared consciousness.

Beast peered down at the book titled 'Orange Hope' and picked it up in his black outlined mouth.

'_Book, yes this is the book. Must not burn this book... No... But the others' _He smiled, '_Others can burn'_

XXXX

"... he probably got too carried away with training again. You know how he is. How many times have you found him passed out cold?" A voice said close to Naruto. It was Mira's.

"Maybe, but it was different this time. He was screaming about Red and how… how Red was attacking him." His brother's voice. Yeah, that was definitely Natsu. Were they talking about him?

"Red? I thought he let his imaginary friend go a long time ago." Mira gasped.

Natsu didn't respond verbally, but Naruto heard him move around.

There was a long pause before Mira got up. "Well, I have some chores to finish up. You can stay here tonight and I'll check on him in the morning."

Natsu stood up to, "I'll help with the chores." He said quickly, "I think I need to talk to Gramps quick."

Naruto forced his eyes to stay closed as they left the room. When he was sure he was alone, he opened them.

He was in the infirmary. Great.

They thought he was insane. That's great too.

No, a better word was perfect. His life was perfect right now.

His own brother...

No. That didn't matter at this moment, all that he needed to think about was Red. How he was attacking him and laughing like he was insane. But more importantly, somewhere.

And needed him.

XXXX

_**Hey Guys! Sorry about the wait, but between the time the first chapter was out and now I lost some fingers in a mowing accident. So… yeah. But, I am getting the hang of this typing thing again and I hope to get another chapter out within the next couple months. As for pairings, I am still open to just about anything though I am leaning toward a Naruto/Wendy. **_

_**-CombustingGorilla**_

_**Next Time on Naruto Dragneel**_

_**Naruto knows that Red's still here and… evil? Does Natsu remember the old fox? Also, what's with the burning Library? Will this lead to a whole new set of problems? Find out on Naruto Dragneel**_


	3. On His Own?

**Hi there! I thought I would make something clear. There has been some question as to the ages of Naruto and Natsu. While their ages are technically unknown because of the whole Dragon thing, for this story I have Natsu around 17-18 and Naruto 13-14. Hope this clears away the confusion!**

**Anywho, on to the story-**

**Igneel- Way to go. Confuse 'em more why don't ya? Oh. I know. Add Aliens and unicorns, that would send them through a loop.**

**Me- What? How did you get here?**

**Igneel- Where did you think I went? YOU put ME on the SIDELINE. Now you're turning Red into some kind of psycho, mixing an exceed into it somehow, messing with my sons, and you expect me to be QUIET?**

**Me- ... O.o**

**Igneel- Just... start the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto of Fairy Tail**

'_Pretty Flames, Dancing flames. Fire fire fire. Books burned down… yes… nothing but ash!' _A creature hummed. The beast jumped along rooftops and laughed to himself, still lost in his mind. He felt the Cat laughing with him but that didn't much matter. '_Happy flames… Angry Flames. Hungry Flames.'_

He stopped his jumping to watch some people down below. '_Tear them? Rip them to shreds? Yes… But no. Beast must not hurt these ones. Why…? Listen. Beast will listen.'_

He jumped down next to the small group of people. They were arguing. One was a white haired female, she was strong. Beast could tell from her scent. Another was short and old, but big. Beast knew he could be big. The third was… Natsu. Yes, the beast knew that name well. Excitement bubbled in his chest. He felt like running up to Natsu and throwing him into the air and tearing his… '_No, not tearing him. Just throwing Natsu into walls! Yes. Over and over...' _

The feeling was almost overwhelming. But, he restrained himself and ducked into the shadows.

'_Listen Listen.' _The beast reminded himself, stopping his shaking.

The short man spoke. "Let's not overthink this. It could very well just be exhaustion. You know how he works himself to the brink of death. It's just his form of training, probably one of the reasons he is as strong as he is. We should wait for him to wake up and ask what he remembers." Old man nodded to himself and crossed his arms.

The girl spoke up gently, "What if he does remember? Will he go on another escapade to-"

"He will. No doubt about it. If he even thinks that he might have seen Red… Man, he just got back." Natsu punched a wall, making it shake a bit. It looked feeble...

Beast tilted his head in a confused way. '_Break the wall? Break the wall. Beast MUST break the wall now!'_

"Natsu...' The old man sighed. "Very well. I shall talk to him. Damn the brat. So much trouble... Huh." The old man's eyes took on a happier look. "I remember when he would rush into the guild and throw something or other into my face. He thought everything he found was a treasure…"

Mira smiled, "Yes. He was a curious boy. Remember when he stole someone's color changer? It was hard to explain to them that his 'little fox' actually took it."

The short old man nodded, chuckling lightly.

Natsu growled angrily, turning from the wall. "Red. The fox's name is Red."

"Natsu-" The old man tried, but was interrupted by the pinkette.

"No, you don't get it. You didn't see how Red was. He was like an older brother to us. When Igneel- All we had was Red. Sure, he might have been made up. A form of Dragon Slayer magic, whatever. But he was very real. He watched out for us, and trained us and... And now Naruto sees him as a bad guy." Natsu looked troubled. Beast wanted someone to break the wall.

"Red is a manifestation of Naruto's magic. That's why only you two could see him. That's why he only spoke to Naruto. It was the only explanation. It was cute for a while, but you grew out of it." Makarov, for beast remembered his name, said slowly. Repeating facts to calm the slayer down.

'_Smart old little man. Beast must be wary of that one.'_

"Now we have to help Naruto understand so he can move on. It is unhealthy for him to rely on an unstable power like that. Manifestations reflect what the wizard actually feels. For example, Naruto wanted that color changer. He wanted it, but knew that stealing was wrong so he didn't take it. But his manifestation did steal it, because right or wrong he wanted it." The old man said, giving Natsu a pointed look.

"It was only-" The boy started, but was cut off by the older man.

"Yes, it was only a run of the mill item. It was easy to give back and fix the problem. But what if it had been something more? What if Naruto met someone he didn't like, but knew better than to hurt the other so he didn't. But the manifestation could and would. The boy is only human… and far too young to be expected to reign in his emotions. You understand, don't you?"

Natsu was silent, his eyes covered by shadow.

"Look… If Naruto wasn't so powerful I think we would have let this happen on its own, but…" Mira tried, but couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.

'_Hmm… Manifestation. Red...Cat?' _The cat had no ideas. Red let it go. That wasn't why he was listening.

"Then why did he leave the first time?" Natsu asked softly, his fists clenched.

Makarov gave Mira a sideways look.

"Gramps," Natsu repeated, "Why did Red disappear? Naruto didn't know any of this then."

Makarov sighed, closing his eyes and letting his arms fall to his sides. "I don't know. It could have been because… because of Lisanna's sudden…" He paused, unable to continue.

"Grief affects everyone differently. Maybe this was Naruto's way of dealing." Mira finished for Makarov. She too avoided Natsu's gaze.

The three fell into silence. Beast was bored with them. He had listened enough.

'_The boy… The book… Give book to boy. Yes, Uzumaki needs book. But how… Break the wall. Need to break the wall!'_

The beast couldn't hold it back anymore. He had to destroy the wall that Natsu couldn't. A howl of laughter from the fox was the only warning he gave.

Bringing his head down, he sprung from the rooftop and just as Natsu looked up, he rammed into the brick full force, sending the three flying back from the impact. Stone fell in a shower around the beast. He grinned in pleasure, stopping to enjoy the crumbled pieces under his feet.

He blacked out. Maybe he broke more walls, maybe he didn't. It might very well be that all he did was stand there grinning at the ground.

This happened often. Beast would get so happy and feel so strong he couldn't remember what he did. He never dwelled on why or how, never pondered what might be the cause. He just accepted it and let it happen.

But he always snapped out of it.

A sound brought him back to himself. A girl was shouting to someone in a polite yet commanding tone.

Beast blinked the darkness he hadn't noticed before from his eyes.

He was in a different part of town, right next to a church. He saw people running away or scrabbling under debris. Walls on every dwelling were blown clean through, like a wrecking ball hit only once and moved on.

The white haired girl caught his attention.

Mira was caught under a pile of brick. Natsu was leaning against the side of a house, and Makarov was nowhere to be seen. The beast didn't plan on fighting. Or tearing. Definitely not here to these wizards.

The beast shook out his fur, feeling like looking his best before making his way through the rubble and to the white haired girl who had managed to free her leg out from under the ruined house.

Had Beast broken the house too? Nice.

He stopped inches away and bent his nose down to sniff her head.

She looked around, confused. "Master?" She said uncertainly. Her usually pristine dress was a little torn up.

'_No. Uzumaki is not here. This way. Boy is this way,'_

The beast turned to leave, but pink hair caught his eye and he paused. Natsu jumped up and looked around wildly, finally spotting the fox.

"Red? What-" But Beast didn't hear the rest. He was gone.

XXxXXx

"Naru? Hey, you doing ok?" Happy let himself into the hospital like room, scanning the beds for the one that was occupied. He saw the lump of blankets and unkempt blonde hair.

"Naruto?" Happy went closer and pulled himself onto the end of the mattress. "Hey, buddy. How are you doin?"

Naruto sighed, then sat up. He faced the small cat and gave him a sad look. "Happy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." The fish loving cat smiled, making himself comfortable in the moon lit infirmary.

"Well, first I was knocked out of the guild by gramps-"

"I know. You got some good air!"

"Yeah...Then I was stuck in Fire dragon armor, and believe me, the people of Magnolia have no sense of humor. Anyway, got to the clearing and wasted my magic away to try and get out of it when...when Red showed up."

Happy's mouth dropped open, but Naruto was on a roll so he kept going.

"He started pushing me all over the place... But that wasn't the bad part. No, he was laughing. Laughing and talking about Uzumaki... I don't know Happy. If you'd have seen him you wouldn't have recognized him." The blonde paused, rubbing his neck.

Happy looked deep in thought. "You're sure it was him? I mean… he went away years ago… Could have been a different creature?"

Naruto shook his head. "No it was him." Happy watched the boy pull a book out from under his pillow and run a hand over the cover, like he was making sure it was real. Then he offered it to the blue cat.

Happy took it from him with a questioning look, then read the title. "Orange hope?"

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"What does this have to do with seeing Red?"

An undefinable look passed through the boy's eyes before he looked at the cat.

Naruto hesitated before answering. "He walked in here and gave it to me." With that, he got out of the bed.

Happy looked at the book with new found curiosity and opened to the first page as the blonde found his clothes.

"_Hello dear reader_." Happy read outloud, "_I have spent a lifetime and a half collecting the myth and lore of the famous Orange hope and compiling it into this very book. True, there are some facts and information missing from these pages and undecipherable glyphs that we can only hypothesize as to their meaning, but I shall guide you through the pages of my life's work and share with you my expert take on the subject. To begin we must first-" _

"Why would Red give this to you? It's soo boring." The cat deadpanned.

"I think it's a clue. Like he's trying to tell me something. Maybe what happened to him? Well… It has something to do with this Orange hope guy." Naruto grabbed the book from Happy's paws and put it carefully inside his red drawstring bag.

Happy noticed the new outfit. When had he had time to get that?

Naruto now wore a black skin tight shirt with an orange rectangle on each sleeve. On his right wrist was a metal band with '_Firefly_' engraved on it. On his other wrist was a time lacrima and compass. His black fighting pants seemed to be too big for him so he used his scarf like a belt, tieing it in the front. To top off his… unique… outfit off he wore dark brown sandals.

"You're going again… aren't you." Happy said sadly, letting his tail droop.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I am. Going alone this time… We both know what Natsu thinks."

"I'll go with you! Naru, you can't-"

"No, Happy. Your place is here. I... I can't let this go. I know what gramps said back then but..." His voice cracked with emotion, "but I still believe in him. I know he doesn't want to be this way and I have to help. And if I can't then... I'll be the only one who could..." He wouldn't finish that sentence, but the feline could fill in the blanks.

He would put the fox down. So Red wouldn't hurt anyone else.

Happy sighed, wiping his eyes with a little paw and jumped at his friend, grabbing onto his neck. "Be careful, ok? And come back a ton! At least… once a week!" The cat sobbed.

Naruto hugged him back, "What are you… Erza? Come on Happy, it's me. Who's gonna mess with the Firefly?"

Happy sniffled and hugged him tighter, only serving to choke the poor boy.

"Yeah… ok." Naruto finally said.

XxXXXx

Lucy bursted into the guild full of questions. So many she felt the need to prioritize them in order of importance… so taking a deep breath she calmed herself down enough to yell, "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?"

A tired looking Mira looked at her with a small smile. "You mean you haven't heard? There was a storm…"

"Yeah, right. Like I'll believe that. My landlady thought I was trouble even before she let me have the place. Now I'll be hard pressed to convince her it wasn't my fault the freakin wall imploded." Lucy sat in a bar seat gruffly.

Mira suddenly didn't look so tired. "Imploded? You mean… Oh! Is your house alright? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine now. I just have to get a new desk... And a few lamps... But nothing else was terribly broken." Lucy rubbed the bridge of her nose, attempting to calm down.

Mira looked relieved, then reached for a cup and poured coffee into it, handing it to Lucy, who took it gratefully.

Mira put a hand on the other girl's shoulder said, "On the house." and walked away.

Lucy cupped the warm beverage close and tried to relax a bit. Maybe things weren't so bad. Lamps weren't too much money... Right?

"I need a job." She groaned, looking over to the request board. Deciding that it was high time to try it out, she stood up and made her way over.

She passed Gray and Canna, who were having a heated debate on proper beach wear. She decided to say hi later. At a near-by table she spotted Natsu and Naruto hunched over a book.

She took one look at their confused faces and gave into her nosey tendencies.

Must- Find out- What they're reading!

"What're you looking at?" Lucy asked, peering over Natsu's shoulder.

"Orange Hope." Natsu answered, glancing up at her with a welcoming smile, and offered her a seat.

Lucy's eyes lit up with recognition and she sat down, put her head next to the brothers and getting a better look at at orange and gold cover. "Oh! I've heard that story a million times... But I didn't think it was that long." She picked it up quizzically and browsed through the chapters.

"You've heard the story before?" Naruto said incredulously.

The girl nodded, "Yeah, it's kind of like a nursery rhyme... But not. Ya know?" She assumed they knew what she was talking about.

Of course, they didn't.

"What! No one ever told you guys Orange Hope?" She deadpanned, "That's sad."

"Guess so!" Natsu smiled, but his brother narrowed his eyes.

"Igneel told us plenty! I bet the Salamander and the fly trumps this stupid book." He crossed his arms.

"Umm, ok?" Lucy tried to appease the slightly agitated slayer. "Anyway, it's really simple. A warrior was tasked with fighting the world's greatest evil. He went out to do it, gathering a great army that follow him without question, and when the battle started, the warrior disappeared. His men died and the evil warrior won. That's where the phrase 'Don't give me orange hope' came from." Lucy explained, the other blonde looked troubled.

"But this book is themed around the origins of the story itself. It's really very impressive...Actually I've seen this before! It was at a library. How'd you get it?" Lucy asked, but Naruto wasn't paying attention anymore. He was thinking, and judging from the furrowed brow, not pleasant thoughts.

Natsu answered for him. "He doesn't know. Just found it, I guess. Anyway, Lucy I wanted to talk to you..." And with that, he dragged her off the rest of the way to the request board.

Naruto sighed. "That doesn't really help... I just need to know why Red gave it to me. Wait... I know! I'll just ask the author! He's bound to know something." The boy figured. He heard Naruto and Lucy leave, probably on a mission. Good, they're gone. That'll make this next part easier.

It was time he set out. To find the old fox, the author... And _that_ guy.

He gathered his things, stood up, put the book back in his bag, and turned to come face to face with a frowning white haired master. And he looked pissed.

This happened a lot actually. Naruto would do something, Makarov would catch wind of it, and punish accordingly. For some reason, he made it a point to send him flying through a window or wall… and if he really blew it… a train.

Naruto gulped before smiling weakly at the master of Fairy Tail.

"Hey gramps." Naruto Dragneel greeted, "I was about to leave, so-"

This only served to make the old man even angrier as he growled, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Out. I'm going to find Red." He answered, meeting the guild master's eyes questioningly.

"Naruto," He said with barely controlled rage, "You may be an S class wizard, but you are far too young to go on such… such journeys." He calmed down as he spoke, but the fire in his eyes didn't die. "Red isn't your friend. It's time you understood that."

The blonde didn't respond. For all his spirit, his face hardened.

Oh. That's what this was about.

"It's an unworthy cause for you! You could be doing so much more… like perfecting your new technique. Going out on some ludicrous journey to solve a problem that could just as easily be solved right now. Accept that Red is nothing more than your imagination in magic form. Once you do that, you can move on. Do you understand, Naruto?" The master was now nose to nose with the younger man, standing on the table to do so. The rest of the guild was watching the scene now, stopping mid conversation.

The guild listened for the blonde's response.

He didn't know how to.

Naruto could feel their stares and hear their soft whispering. He spared a glance at them, who darted their eyes. He knew what that meant.

They felt the same way.

His guild mates- no, his _family_ didn't believe him. They thought what Makarov did. That Red was a manifestation of Dragon Slayer magic. Nothing more than a boy's glorified imagination.

"Red isn't real. Stop deluding yourself into… some… fantasy! Do you understand?" Makarov Dreyar was looking at Naruto like he was nothing more than a problem, but Naruto smelled something else. Something like regret.

The boy may not know much, but he knew what it was taking for his grandfather figure to say this. He was intentionally trying to convince one of his 'children' to give up on a goal… the complete opposite of what he had said many times before. The old man must truly think Naruto was getting into something bad. Something he wanted to protect him from.

That hurt Naruto more than he thought was possible.

They didn't believe in him. All they saw was a boy unable to let go of his imagination… and willing to put his life on the line for it. Die if necessary. They saw an unhealthy ambition.

Not someone who wanted to save a friend.

"Yes Master Makarov, I think I do." Naruto said after a long beat. His head lowered to hide his tears. But before Makarov could let go a sigh of relief, he continued, "I understand that on this one... I am alone."

Makarov was mortified, "No! That isn't at all what- How dare you even-"

Naruto held up a hand, stopping the old man's words. He had heard enough. Anymore and it might break him into millions of pieces. He started for the exit, and paused before leaving. He turned around and studied the faces in the room. Makarov. Macao. Wakabe. Mira. Elfman. Everyone looked back; saddened, shocked and ashamed.

They didn't believe him.

They weren't going to help him.

He was alone, and he just confirmed it.

All of this went against everything the guild stood for. They were supposed to be a family, having each other's back no matter what.

He rested a hand on his scarf, needing it's comfort.

"Fine then." Naruto said darkly. Slamming the door behind him and ignoring their cries for him to return. He left with nothing but the clothes on his back, a book in his bag, and the will to save a friend.

At that moment, it was enough.

XxxxXxx

North of Magnolia there is a mountain range. No one travels here by choice, due to the number of monsters and harsh environment. It snows nearly every day at the top and rarely rains at the bottom. This is a land of concentrated magic and unexplained happenings. To settle here would be asking for trouble. However, unknown to all but two, someone did live there. This particular lad doesn't get many visitors, for if someone happened to wander… He couldn't guarantee their safety. There was a reason for his isolation.

Of course, Naruto was on his way there now. To blend in with the normal crowd of people, he donned a brown traveling cloak that covered his face from the strong winds. He also had on brown leather gloves, long tan pants, boots, and a black coat.

He hadn't gone on this path for months, and neither had the other boy.

Naruto came to a patch of trees he recognised, stopping to check the bark of the tallest. He rubbed his thumb over a carving of a _G_ and moved to the base of the mountain.

He removed the cloak from his ears and called out, "Hey! It's me! Where are ya?" He was standing on a clearing of sand and rock, looking baren to untrained eyes, but Naruto saw a campsite. There was a small circle of charred wood and a pile of leaves that made a bed. Small and simple. This was the guy he was looking for.

Naruto listened hard, waiting for a response or gruff welcome, but there was nothing but the wind and shuffling trees.

This wasn't that unusual. The boy he knew was… disturbed. He had a burden that no one should have to bear. But, a deal was a deal.

"Gaara, I know you're here." Naruto grumbled, scanning the trees again.

A rustle and a muffled sigh finally answered. Someone appeared from behind a rock.

"Naruto." A gravelly voice said coldly. The blonde turned, and grinned.

"So, what's new?" He said cheerfully, and moved closer to the other boy. "Wow, you got taller! But, not taller than me."

Gaara rolled raccoon- like eyes. His torn red cloak rested loosely on his shoulders and his grey shirt peaked out underneath. "What do you want?"

Naruto pouted comically, "Really? I make the journey all the way out here and the first thing you do is scowl? Maybe next time I won't bring candy!" He held the candy bar up almost tauntingly.

Gaara's features changed. His almost aloof behavior was forgotten and a hungry one replaced it. His blue eyes followed Naruto's hand as he moved it back and forth.

Yup. This got him.

"Give. That. NOW!" Gaara said, in a hypnotized way. He began walking forward with a purposeful glare before grabbing at the candy.

Naruto dodged out of the way and pulled the candy with him, "Not before I get a hello!" And dashed away up the mountain side.

"Naruto! Get back here!" The red head roared, his appearance forgotten and his desire for the holy food overwhelming, he chased after the laughing boy.

Xx Three years ago Xx

"Reeed, where are we going?" A grumpy Naruto whined. He was seated atop the fox, Natsu trailing beside them, a little Happy on his head.

'_Shut up. I have to check something out..'_

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. Really, all he wanted to do was go home after the day they'd had. Actually, it was more like a week of non stop missions. Natsu was saving up for a house... And of course Naruto had to help.

It was a pain in the butt for the younger boy, who in all honesty, just wanted to goof around at the Guild hall all day. If it hadn't been his only older brother who asked...

The pink haired Dragon Slayer sniffed the air suddenly, "Hey, you smell that?"

Naruto took a deep breath in, then tilted his head. "Smoke. Hey, I thought you said nobody lived here."

Natsu nodded, "That's what Gramps said." Then he sped up, like a dog after a bone... Or a Dragon slayer after an intriguing scent.

'_Interesting... Even I wouldn't have guessed...' _Red hummed, and ran to keep pace with the pink haired boy. The open plains they ran through soon turned into a sandy mountain base, and the four halted.

There, standing not ten feet from them, was a black deamon... And it wreaked. The Slayer's sensitive noses were nearly fried and they recoiled.

"What the heck is that?" Naruto gawked. It was like a pile of sludge, constantly changing form and about fifty feet high, a house across. Glowing red eyes peered at them from the black brown goo, almost with mirth.

While anyone who took off and never came back wouldn't be called cowardly in this situation, I think it can be assumed what the brothers decided to do.

"Who cares? I think it's flammable!" Natsu grinned and extended his right arm to light it on fire. The orange flames danced excitedly, mirroring their master's mood.

Naruto wasn't as certain. "Natsu, it hasn't even done anything yet. We can't just-"

"GAURRRAHH" The thing seemed to utter a battle cry as it sprouted arms and flung them at Naruto.

"Nevermind! Get fired up!" The boy disclaimed, and Red took the boy out of the way. They sprinted to the other side of the sludge as Natsu charged.

The older boy pulled his hand back and sent it crashing into the thing's base, causing it to splash back onto him, coating him in sludge.

"Ach!" He exclaimed, but continued his assault. The black demon, of course, noticed and growled again. With surprising speed it moved forward, attempting to run the pink haired slayer over.

Natsu responded by dissipating the sludge faster, but was falling behind as the sheer amount of it overwhelmed him. Natsu gritted his teeth and saw his only chance was to get out of there. He tried to retreat back, but stepped on a bit of the slimy substance. His legs fell out from under him and the boy fell onto his back.

It was almost in slow motion.

The sludge descended, going to cover him completely and… He held Happy close.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, preparing for the worst, when "Fire Dragon: Roar!" Sounded, and Naruto appeared next to him, giving him a 'let's go!' look and Iron fisted the sludge. Where Natsu was falling behind, Naruto's attacks kept up perfectly, covering the three of them in a dome as the sludge surrounded them.

Natsu was surprised. Naruto… Saving _him_? Little did he know that his was Naruto's realization as well.

He could protect his brother.

Natsu pushed himself off the ground as Happy whined, "What's going on?"

Now side by side, the brothers could strategize.

"Ok, what's the plan?" Naruto growled, sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

"Well… We're surrounded on all sides by sludge, getting knee deep in the stuff, and running out of oxygen. What do you think we do?" Natsu said, helping to scrape a dome around them.

Naruto didn't miss a beat as he replied, "Double roar?"

Natsu grunted affirmative and filled up with what little air remained, as did Naruto. Through unspoken agreement, they targeted one spot in the pitch black oncoming sludge and released the pent up power in a swirling vortex of blue and red flames.

The explosion busted a hole through the remaining blob, giving the boys just enough time to get out, and roll in the dirt. They looked at eachother, then at the creature.

They'd knocked the thing down to size, taking thirty feet from it at least. It was still advancing, however, bubbling and making gurgling sounds.

Red went to them, sniffing then recoiling.

'_Gah! You smell like death.' _He said in Naruto's mind.

Naruto ignored him, "Natsu did you notice?"

"What?'

"The black stuff on the ground everywhere, why hasn't he absorbed it back up?" The dirty blonde boy gestured to the field of goop.

A lightbulb went off in Natsu's head, "It can't!" He exclaimed, "Lay it on heavier!"

As one, they jumped at the thing and gave it another round of Double roar, and the attack blew away the rest of the goop.

All that remained was a pile of sludge.

"Yes!" Natsu whooped and threw Happy in the air, catching him, and repeating.

"That was so much easier than punching it." Naruto panted, leaning over to catch his breath.

Natsu laughed, agreeing with him. "Well, we learned one thing. It doesn't catch on fire."

That, for some odd reason, made them all laugh, causing Happy to chirp "Aye!"

'_Yes. You're both stupid.' _Red snapped, he maneuvered his head to look Naruto in the eye, '_Idiots! What did Natsu think would happen?! Gurr.' _The fox snorted and snapped his jaws at the pink haired dragon slayer.

"Relax, nothing happened! And the thing's dead, isn't it?" Naruto looked back at the pile of motionless gunk, only to take back what he just said.

There, lying in the middle of the sludge, was a skinny boy wrapped in rags. He was motionless… almost like he was dead.

Naruto went closer, against Red's warnings, and felt his neck for a pulse.

But, that wasn't necessary as the red haired boy slurred, "N-n- no. Naruto… Must find Naruto…"

XxxxXxx

Back to the present, we find Naruto and Gaara sitting around a small campfire in silence. The red haired boy was sucking on a lollypop, and the blonde was staring at the flames hungrily, a blue blanket wrapped around his shoulders for comfort. Not that he was cold, but after the day he'd just had…

The only sounds were the crackling of the fire, and the bugs singing to fill the air.

"So… What do you want?" Gaara asked, not as hostile, but still wary. He focused his pale blue eyes on the other boy, who continued to look at the fire.

"Why do you stay out here?" Naruto finally said, not looking up.

"You know why. I can't be among… among normals." Gaara's face was neutral, but his voice betrayed his true emotions. Frustration, longing, and sadness was all in the word Normals.

"Why didn't you let us find you help that day… There are so many people we could ask..." Naruto trailed off, already knowing his answer but asking it anyway. He always asked these questions.

Gaara wasn't in the mood.

"Naruto, answer my question. We both know why I am here, what I want to know is why you are."

The blonde pulled his blanket closer around him and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He let his shoulders sag and his head bow, studying the ground in front of him.

"Because… I don't know where else to go." He admitted softly. "It's never happened before… but I can't go go back to the guild."

The red head wouldn't pretend to understand that statement. He didn't know much about the boy across from him… But he could tell it was a big deal.

Still, that didn't explain why he chose to bug Gaara.

"Humph." Gaara snorted, "So, what do you plan to do? To me, you seem suicidal. You've seen what I become-"

"Shut up about that!" Naruto shouted angrily, "I'm tired of you using that as an excuse! You think I don't know the real reason you're out here? It's not because you can turn into a monster. Stop pretending it is."

Gaara looked away from the whiskered boy, who had stood up and clenched his fists.

Naruto sat down, and looked at the fire.

They let the conversation die, finding it easier to stay in silence than face the elephants in the room. Though, Gaara couldn't help but wonder what the fox rider really wanted.

XxxxXxxxxXxx

Cries of horror, shed tears, and a bloodlust were all this girl could feel at the moment. She was a bookworm. Sakura Kisho was a freakin bookworm and she accepted it. Embraced it even. She wore round glasses, always had her light pink hair in a ponytail, and carried a book in her arms at all times.

She. Loved. BOOKS.

So, when someone messed with her dealer… or… Library, she was TICKED. PISSED. ANGRY BEYOND A MORTAL'S COMPREHENSION.

The girl was mad, get it? Like… beat someone over the head with a brick mad.

"Whoever they are, I will find them. And I will kill them." She swore, and turned on her heel away from the burning rubble.

"Umm, miss? Why are you going that way?" A nicely dressed man asked, rushing to keep up with her and holding an umbrella above her head.

"Not now, Mike. I have some research to do. Revenge to plan. People to murder. CHA!" She roared at the sky, promising her words to the universe.

"I don't believe your mother would approve…" Mike said weakly, but was promptly ignored as the two made their way away from the carriage and toward town. She knew what to do… Who to call to help her…

"Mike, get me a Guild request form. I think it's time I called in a favor with a certain Phantom Lord."

XxxxXxx

Red was buried once again. He could see what was happening, in a way, but he couldn't keep up with his own mind.

It frustrated him to no end.

It was like being sealed away all over again, except inside a mad man… well… again.

"**I will kill that she devil!" **He roared, running full force into his newest prison.

The Beast's mind was always shifting. That meant the mind scape was shifting as well, from a burning town, to a mountain, to cages.

No warning, no pattern. Just madness and confusion.

"Good luck with that." A female voice said in a bored way.

Kurama glared at the exceed next to him, who was lazily staring at the ceiling of their newest prison. A cave.

"**Not now. Not when I need to know! Does he understand? He is the book! He must not remember…**"

"Then why'd you influence Beast to do it?" The red furred cat demanded, propping herself onto her elbow.

"**I didn't. The beast just picked up on my… what I thought were suppressed memories. If only we hadn't tried to stop the creature from here.**"

"Yeah, that was my bad. Big deal, we'll have better luck next time!" She said, jumping up and studying the cave around them. "Yes, if we can just…"

"**Humph. No, I will not try again. If anything, I will try to get the Beast to kill himself." **Now there was a good idea.

Shock and anger overcame her calculating cat emotions and she rounded on the big fox. "Like hell I'll let you! If He goes, we could go." She snarled.

Kurama didn't respond, but instead laid down, sighing.

"That's what I thought. Now listen, I had an idea…"

XxxxxXxxxx

_**Hmm… This is so so short… But! I think it's a good place to stop. I would just like to point out that the first chapter took me a whole 6 months. I know I like it when the chapters are let out faster and kinda shorter than really really long and years between. I don't know… Tell me what you think. I could do it either way :/**_

_**I know the whole scene with Makarov and Naruto was uncharacteristic. Normally, the guild would be like "Go for it!" But bare with me, it'll all be explained.**_

_**One more thing, I need a beta. I've been looking around for one, but I would love suggestions!**_

_**P.S. I can't read minds, so until I can… Review?**_

_**Next Time-**_

"_**Gaara, want to help me out?" Naruto asked, for once not sporting his trademark smirk. He was being serious, giving the other boy an opportunity to get out of his forest. A chance to escape…**_

"_**ATTENTION PHANTOM LORD!" A girl roared, interrupting the guild's previous subdued mood. Gajeel Redfox grimaced, praying quietly to whatever god was up there that it wasn't THAT girl… "GAJEEL, come here." He died a little inside, letting out a groan.**_

_**Find out on… Naruto Dragneel**_


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